LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Shelf^.2..S
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
ST. ALOYSIUS GONZAOA, S. J.
True Likeness of Saint Aloysius taken from
the Original Oil Painting which is preserved in
the Collegio Romano, Rome.
J. ScHAEFER, Publisher, 60 Barclay St., N. Y.
Short Instructive Sketches
FROM THE
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paroe-i^iaf anil ^uailaij ^o^oofil),
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NEW YOKE :
J. SCHAEFER, Publisher, 60 Barclay Street^.
1888.
T»t LORART
OP CnfUWM
.S5"-
Imprimatur:
# Michael Aiig^ustiney
Archbishop of Neiv York*
Copyright, 1888,
3y Joseph Schaefer.
PREFACE.
Ours is the great age of reading, and no small
portion of the literature of our day is made up of
light, amusing, stirring matter, calculated to de-
light the fancy, and tickle the imagination, as a
pastime. It is in great measure an everyday liter-
ature, like the one- day flies, yet if this were the
only purpose of so many publications, we need
not sound the cry of alarm. But, alas ! whaf a de-
hige of trashy literature, immoral in tendency
and irreligious in principle, is placed upon the
market, which poisons the mind, corrupts the
heart of our youths, whereby full sway is given
to the well-known spiritual enemies described by
the Apostle St. John. We must, therefore, welcome
any really good book to offset these treacherous
shoots of .vile bookmaking.
Of what importance and influence good or bad
examples are upon the children and youths of our
period need not be stated a"gain. Those who can
boast of the advantages of education in the so-
called higher classes of society are growing
looser in their habits of Christian life, weaker in
the teachings of divine truth, while piety and faith
e=eem rather to be flourishing among the poor and
humble, who have before them the model lives
and example of virtuous parents having at heart
to place good reading on the family table and at
the fireside of their homes.
To aid somewhat the holy cause of spreading
good books with a view of opposing the evil cur-
rent of bad literature, and counteracting the sad
ravages of mere worldly heroes, the publisher
places this little book, entitled, " Short Sketches
from the Lives of the Saints,'^ before a Chris-
tian community. It is intended to lay down, in
pithy and concise chapters, suitable to youthful
minds, the bright examples of God's chosen Saints,
now in the enjoyment of immortal bliss. This
small volume shall fix your eyes, my dear young
readers, upon these illustrious guides in your own
daily walks of life, that you may copy them, and
thus taste of the pleasure and delight of serving
God on earth.
This small vade nieawi may serve as a step-
ping-stone to the larger " Lives of the Saints,"
with which you, my young friends, I hope, may
yet become familiar. That the reading of these
** Sketches" may produce such result is the sin-
cere wish of The Publisher.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
AgatlSa, St., Martyrdom of 7
Agatho, The Hermit, and his Pupils 05
Agnes, St., Martyrdom of 6
Alfonsus Liguori,St 183
Aloysius Gonzaga, St. :
His Birth and Vocation l")?
His Mortifications ItJl
His Death 162
Amadeus, Duke, The Hounds of 100
American Saints Recently Placed in the Proper
for the United States 194
Anglo-Saxons Received Christianity, How the. . . G7
Anthony of Padua, St. :
The Saint's Sermon. 101
How the Creature Revered the Creator 102
The Saint Preaches to the Fishes .... 103
The Saint and the Child Jesus 104
The Saint's Tongue 103
Arbogast, St., Restores a King's Son to Life 59
Arius, a Judgment of God on. .• 3i
Augustine, St 49
Beasts of the Forest Obey a Saint 96
Bernard, St., A Miracle by .., 92
VI CONTENTS.
PAGE
Beriiarcline of Sienna, St. :
As a Youth 127
As a Preacher 128
Benedict, St. :
How he Rescued his Pupil, Maurus... 53
Totila and St. Benedict 54
Bishop before a Judge, A , 35-
Blasius, St. :
Miracle of 24
Death of 24
Boniface, St. :
The Saint and the Ancient Oak 73
Martyrdom of the Saint 74
Bridget, St., the Choice of 72
Cassian, St., Death of II
Catharine of Sienna, St., and Pope Gregory XIII. 126
Catharine, St., Death of 8
Charlemagne and Bishop Ludgerus 75
Charles Borromeo. St 171
Christian Martyrs in the Arena 1
Christophorus, St., Legend of 42
Clara. Mother:
How she Multiplied the Half- loaf 99
Puts a Horde of Warriors to Flight 99
Conrad, Bishop :
His Reverence for the Holy Sacrament 83
His Gift of Prophecy 83
Constantino the First Christian Emperor 31
Corpus Christ! , The Origin of 99
Crispin and Crispinian, SS., Martyrs 16
CONTENTS. Vir
PAGE
Cross, Power of the Sign of the 51
Cunigunde, Empress, Canonization of 87
Cutlibert, St. :
How he Ruled Wind and Fire 63
How God Provided him and his Pupil with
Food 64
Cyprian, St., Death of 10
Death of St. Kilian - e>8
Death of St. Patrick 40
Dominic, St :
A Miracle by 112
Another Miracle by 113
Origin of the Eosary 114
Early Christians in the Catacombs, The 2
Edward the Confessor, St 132
Elegius, St., Honesty of 62
Elizabeth, St. :
How she Became Landgravine 106
Her Roses 107
How she Became a Widow 108
Sufferings and Death of 109
Canonization of , . . Ill
Ephraim, St., Patience of 45
Felix of Cantalicio, St., and the Judge 170
Felix, St., and the Spider's Web 25
Fidelis, St., Labors of and Martyrdom in Gran-
buenden c 166
Forty Holy Martyrs, Feath of 22
Francis Solan, Heroism of 178, 196
^111 CONTENTS.
PAGE
TTrancis of Borgia, St. :
Why he Became a Jesuit 173
Humility of 175
His Patience 176
Trancis of Paula, St. :
Louis XI. and the Saint 139
The Saint Commands the Elements , . 141
Trancis, St. :
In Presence of Sultan Saladin 115
The Saint and the Poor 116
The Christmas Crib 117
Trancis Xavier, St. :
His Labors 148
His Miracles 150
Galuzzi, Father, and the Criminals 94
Genevieve, St 56
Gualbert, St 83
How Agatho Taught Conscientiousness 65
Huns before Paris, and St. Genevieve 56
Hugo, St., and the Cavalier 84
Ignatius of Loyola 146
Ignatius, Patriarch, and the Schismatic Photius. 76
Isidore, St., a Peasant 61
John of Capistrano, St. :
The Saint and the Hussites 134
His Power Over the Elements 135
The Courageous Monk 136
CONTENTS. IX
PAGE
John of Kanti, St., Simplicity of 124
John of Matha, St 130
Jordan, The Blessed. Generosity of 145
Judgment of God, A 34
Kilian, St., and Companions, Martyrdom of 68
Lawrence, St., Death of 12
Leo the Great and Genseric 55
Leo the Iconoclast 30
Lives of Saints Canonized by Leo XIII. :
Benedict Joseph Labre, St 190
Clare of Montefalco, St 183
John Baptist de Rossi, St 192
Lawrence of Brindisi, St 188
Louis, St., King of France :
Vows to Undertake a Crusade 118
Chivalrous Act of the Saint 119
Death of St. Louis 121
Martin, St. :
The Beggar and St. Martin 28
Discharge from the Roman Army 28
Miracle by 30
Mary, Help of Christians 167
Monica, St., The Maternal Love of 47
Nicephorus and Leo the Iconoclast 36
Nicholas, St 25
Nicholas of the Fliie Insured Peace, How 142
Norbert, St., and his Gatekeeper 91
Notburga, St., a Servant 122
X CONTENTS.
PAGE
Odilo, The Charitable Abbot. 66
Oiiilia, St., and the Leper 71
Patrick, St. :
How St. Dorian Saved his Life 38
Death of 40
Pauiinus, St., as a Slave 57
Persecutions under Nero 4
Peter Canisius, The Blessed 164
Peter Claver, St., the Friend of the Negroes 180
Peter the Hermit Preaching the Crusades 90
Philip Neri, St. :
The Saint and the Student 176
A Friend of Children 177
Philip of Jesus, St 194
Phokus, St., Martyrdom of 91
Releasing the Captives 130
K( >man, the Holy Abbot, Miracle by 41
Rosary, Origin of the 114
Rose of Lima, St 169
Sebastian, St., Martyrdom of 2
Sisters of Charity, Founding of the Order of 182
Spider's Web a Defensive Wall, The 25
Spiridion, Bishop, How he Converted Arians 32
Stanislaus Kostka, St 152
Toresa of Jesus, St 154
Theban Legion, Martyrdom of the 21
Theodosius and Archbishop Ambrose 50
CONTENTS. Xl
PAGE
Thomas of Villaiiova, St. :
His Charity when a Child Ua
As Archbishop 144
Timotheus and Maura, SS., Martyrs 1.S
Thomas Aquinas, St., Piety of 131
Trudbert, St., in the Black •Forest, 69
Turribius, St., Archbishop of Lima 195
TJlrich, Holy Bishop, Miracle by 78
Valentin, St , Martyr 13
Vincent de Paul, St 182
Vitus, St., Martyr 17
Wenceslaus of Bohemia, St. :
Humility of 85
Martyrdom of 86.
"We should Forgive those who Injure Us 8&
Wolfgang, Bishop :
His Magnanimity to a Beggar . . 79
His Death SQ>
THE CHRISTIAN MARTYRS IN
THE ARENA.
The Roman amphitheatres consisted of
I large oval or circular buildings, with rows
l of seats, one above another, around an
^' open space, which they called the ''arena/*
Below these rows of seats there were cages
and stalls for ferocious beasts, such as
lions, tigers, leopards, bulls, etc. On
certain days thousands of people would
occupy the seats around the arena for the
purpose of witnessing a cruel spectacle.
Slaves were placed in the arena to fight
with each other ; or, what happened more
frequently and was wildly applauded by
the heathen spectators, one of the wild
animals was let loose and the slave had
to fight for his life, but generally fell a
prey to the hungry wild beast. When
the emperors began to persecute the early
Christians, they substituted the latter for
the slaves. The cruel beasts would spring
on them, tear and devour them, leaving
nothing but the harder bones. When the
cruel spectacle was over and the amphi-
theatre empty, some Christians would
gather the remains of the victims to pre-
serve them piously as precious relics.
THE EARLY CHRISTIANS IN THE
CATACOMBS,
The early Christians had to suffer ter-
rible persecutions in almost every part of
the vast Roman Empire. Especially in
the city of Rome, the residence of the
emperor, the Christians were tortured and
murdered without mercy. In their trouble
they took refuge in the catacombs, which
they made their temporary homes. These
catacombs were mines, with caverns,
grottoes and gangways, extending in the
tufa layers under a considerable part of
the city of Rome. In those gangways
they dug receptacles on the right and left
side, one above another, in which the re-
mains of the saints and martyrs were
buried ; the open side of the graves they
covered with large stones, on which
they engraved religious emblems, with
the names of the martyrs. In these
subterranean caverns the Christians assem-
bled to attend Catholic service. Even
there, below the surface of the earth, the
Christians were in constant danger. It
often happened that when leaving the
hidden asylum they were seized and
imprisoned. Many times they were shut
up in the catacombs, buried alive and
starved. The Emperor Constantine dis-
continued the persecution, granting peace
and religious liberty to the Christians.
THE PERSECUTION UNDER THE
EMPEROR NERO.
One of the worst persecutors of the
Christians was the Emperor Nero. After
having wallowed in all vices, he had the
city of Rome fired in order to present a re-
presentation of the burning of Troy. He
witnessed the fire from the summit of a
tall tower ; it lasted for eight days, and
almost destroyed the entire city. When
the tyrant heard that the people suspected
him of being the author of the conflagra-
tion, he endeavored to throw the blame
on the Christians. The populace did not
believe him ; but they seized the occasion
to persecute the hated Christians. The
Christians were therefore denounced to
the authorities, sought out, imprisoned,
thrown to the wild beasts, beheaded, cast
into caldrons of boiling oil, covered with
pitch and attached to posts, when they
were burned alive, and used to light
either the emperor's garden or the public
plazas. During this terrible persecution^
Saints Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom..
MARTYRDOM OF ST. SEBASTIAN:
St. Sebastian was a colonel in the-
Roman army. When the Emperor Maxi-
mian learned that he, Sebastian, had be-
come a Christian, he was turned over to
the bowmen. He was tied by them to a
tree and left for dead, after having been
pierced by arrows. Irena, the widow of
a martyr, reverently made arrangements;
to bury the body. When she found
life was not extinct, she had him trans^
ferred to her house, where he recovered^
Zealous of suifering mart} rdom for Christ,.
Sebastian appeared before Maximian and
represented the injustice of the persecu-
tion of the Christians. The emperor grew^
furious, and had Sebastian dragged to a.
public place and beaten to death. His
saintly remains were thrown into a ditch.
A Christian widow, named Lucina, had
them taken out and buried in die cata-
combs. Sebastian is represented bound
to a tree and shot to death with arrows.
MARTYRDOM OF ST, AGNES.
The holy virgin and martyr St. Agnes
was condemned to be burned by the
judge, Aspasius. But the flames had no
effect on her. The judge thereupon or-
dered an officer to pierce her neck with a
sword. When this was done the saint
fell to the earth. The blood gushed
from the gaping wound, and she died im-
mediately. Eight days afterward, while
her parents were praying at her grave, St.
Agnes appeared to them bearing a white
lamb in her arms. In remembrance of
this, every year two lambs are blessed in
her church in Rome, from the wool of
which the palliums of the archbishops are
made.
MARTYRDOM OF ST. AGATHA,
The holy virgin and martyr Agatha
lived in the Island of Sicily during the
persecution of the Christians by the Em-
peror Decius. The governor^ Quintianus,
heard of her beauty and wealth, and had
her summoned before him. When he
could not by persuasion or threats compel
her to worship the gods, he had her put to
the torture and struck in the face. She
was then bound to a pillar, brutally maim-
ed, and subsequently cast into prison.
The following night she was wholly
healed by an aged man who appeared to
her. Klled with rage at seeing her re-
covered, the governor had her tortured by
fire and by rolling her on broken glass till
she died. The Church celebrates her feast
every year on the 6th of February. She
is represented in youthful garb, with a
pincers in her hand.
DEATH OF ST, CATHARINE,
The Roman emperor Maximus came
to Alexandria while passing through the
provinces of his empire. Here he offered
solemn sacrifice to the idols. The
Christian virgin Catharine, the daughter
of distinguished and rich parents, placed
herself before the door of the temple and
w^aited for his appearance. When he
came out she explained to him his blind-
ness in offering homage to false gods.
He was astonished at her courage, and the
clearness of her argument, and therefore
invited her into his palace, where he as-
sembled the most learned men, in order to
dispute with Catharine about religion, and
vanquish her. The philosophers sought
to bring forward the most important rea-
sons for their idolatry. But Catharine
spoke in such a convincing manner of the
foolishness of their customs and of the
sublimity of the Christian religion, that
the whole assemblage of learned men, filled
with astonishment, proclaimed themselves
Christians. Enraged at this victory of
the virgin, Maximus had the philosophers
burnt. Then he tried to persuade Catha-
rine, v^ith flatteries and promises, to offer
sacrifice to the idols. As he found his
enticements fruitless, he caused her to be
ttrribly scourged and thrown into prison.
Then he ordered nails to be driven into
the felloes of wheels, and Catharine to be
tied to them. As the executioners were
about to roll them, they broke. The
heathens, standing around, then exclaim-
ed : "Great is the Christian's God V At
this sight even the empress could not be
prevented from proclaiming herself a
Christian. The emperor then had Catha-
rine and the empress beheaded.
lO
DEA TH OF ST. CYPRIAN,
During the persecution of the Christians
by the Emperor Valerian, St. Cyprian,
Bishop of Carthage, was seized and dragged
before the governor, Galerius Maximus,
who, seating himself upon his tribunal,
asked him ; *'Art thou Cyprian, the bishop
of the Christians who despise the gods T
The bishop answered : ' ' It is so. " The
governor then said : ^'According to the
orders of the illustrious emperor, you must
offer sacrifice to the gods." Cyprian re-
plied : '^I shall never do so." The gov-
ernor cried : "Consider the consequences
of your refusal !" But Cyprian answered :
'•In such a just cause there is nothing
to consider or overlook." Then he was
condemned to death by the sword as an
enemy of the gods. When he arrived
at the place of execution, he knelt down
and prayed, then he arose, took off his
upper garment, bandaged his eyes himself,
1 1
and received the deathblow, on the 14th
September, 258.
DEA TH OF ST. CA SSIAN.
St. Cassian was a bishop, and Hved in
the third century. At Imola he instructed
the heathen boys in the ancient languages.
But during the instructions he instilled in-
to their hearts the doctrines of Christianity.
When this became known in the city, he
was accused of propagating a new religion.
To the question of the governor as to
his occupation or business, Cassian an-
swered : "I proclaim Jesus Christ, the
Saviour of the world, to the ignorant.'^
Then the governor attempted to make
him forsake his faith. But as he saw that
his efforts were in vain, he had the saint
stripped and tied to a pillar ; he then in-
duced the schoolboys to torture him.
Some beat him with their slates, others,
stuck their pencils into his flesh, and again
12
others went so far in their wantonness as
to scratch whole words in his skin. Bleed-
ing from many wounds, the saint expired
under the hands of his torturers.
DEA TH OF ST, LA WRENCE,
St. Lawrence was a deacon of Pope
Sixtus. At the same time he had charge
■of the Church } property, and he had to
supervise the distribution of alms to the
poor. When the heathens led the Pope
away to crucify him, Lawrence said to
him : ''Father, where goest thou without
thy son.?" Sixtus answered: ''My son,
in three days thou wilt follow me." When
Lawrence had heard this prophecy, he
sold all the valuables in his trust and dis-
tributed the proceeds among the poor.
The heathen judge then sent for him and
demanded the surrenderor the property.
In answer to this, Lawrence said : "I am
ready to obey you." He then went out
and brought all the Christian poor before
13
the judge. Incensed at this, the avaricious
man commanded Lawrence to deny Jesus
Christ, and sought to force him by
torture to do so. As this was useless, he
had him laid on a red hot iron. When
Lawrence had been lying for some time
on it, he said to the judge: ^^You
might let me be turned on the other side
now, as I am roasted enough on this/'
After the executioners had turned him
several times, to increase his sufferings, he
expired.
The Christians gathered his relics, and
afterwards they built a church in his honor
outside of the w^alls of Rome, in which his
relics are preserved. The Church cele-
brates his feast on the loth of August.
ST. VALENTIN, MARTYR,
St. Valentin was a priest of the eariy
Christian congregation at Rome. Under
the Emperor Claudius he was seized and
u
put into prison. When he was tried by
the judge, Asterius, Valentin said : ''Your
^ods are made of wood or stone, but
Christ is the light of the world. '' Where-
upon the judge answered: ''I have an
adopted daughter who has been blind for
the past two years ; if you will be able to
restore her sight, I also shall believe in
Christ." Valentin fell on his knees and
prayed: ''Lord Jesus Christ, true light,
enlighten Thy servant. " Scarcely had he
uttered these words when the girl opened
her eyes and saw. Asterius and his wife,
filled with astonishment, fell at the feet of
the saint and asked what they should do.
The saint commanded them to destroy all
their idols. Then he instructed them and
baptized them, with all the members of
their family. When this event reached
the ear of the emperor, he had Valentin,
with his new converts, cast into prison,
and later they were beheaded, thus gain-
ing the crown of martyrdom.
15
TIMOTHEUS AND MAURA,
MARTYRS,
At the time of the persecution by the
Emperor Diocletian, a man named Timo-
theus and his wife, Maura, living in Egypt,
were sentenced to be crucified. When
both were brought to the place of execu-
tion, Maura's mother hurried to the side
of her daughter, and embracing her,
cried : ''My daughter, wilt thou leave thy
mother thus? What shall become of
your jewels, your money, your gold and
silver, and all your property, when you are
dead?" Maura replied : '' Dear mother,
our gold will be destroyed ; moths will
eat our clothes ; beauty of body shall
pass away with time ; but the crown of
Jesus Christ endures for all eternity !"
Saying these words, she freed herself from
her mother's embrace, w^alked to the cross,
and was crucified with her husband.
i6
SS. CRISPIN AND CRISPINIAN,
MARTYRS,
The Roman youths Crispin and Crisj)i-
nian were brothers and Christians. About
the middle of the third century they trav-
eled to Gaul in order to spread the light
of the true faith. Both brothers were shoe-
makers, and soon acquired an extended
reputation on account of their industry
and good work. By their frugality they
were able to bestow great benefits on the
poor. They not only without charge made
shoes for the poor, but even furnished them
with the leather. The people soon fre-
quented the establishment of the two
brothers. They were delighted at their
great wisdom, and on the occasion of
their meeting sought to learn the divine
doctrines. It soon came to pass that
many persons had embraced the faith.
When the idolatrous priests saw how their
17
temples were being abandoned, they com-
plained of the two brothers to the Roman
governor. He sought by promises of
pardon and threats to compel them to re-
nounce the Christian faith. As he could
not accomplish his purpose, he had them
scourged, their backs cut with stripes, and
shoemaker-awls thrust under their nails.
Then the saints were cast into a caldron
of boiling lead. When, however, they
emerged unhurt from the caldron, they
were beheaded, and their bodies cast to
the wild beasts. These saints are the
patrons of the shoemaking craft, whose
banner for centuries has borne their pic-
tures.
ST. VITUS, MARTYR,
The Roman emperor Diocletian had a
daughter who was possessed by an evil
spirit. The devil proclaimed that he
would not leave her until ordered to do so
by St. Vitus. When the fiend was asked
where the saint was, he made it known.
Whereupon Diocletian had the youth
summoned before him, and commanded
him to heal his daughter. Vitus then
imposed hands on her, marked her with
the sign of the cross, and commanded
the demon, in the name of Jesus Christ,
to depart from the maiden. The demon
left her, amid frightful blasphemies.
The emperor was astounded, but still
would not become a Christian, and sought
to induce, by all all sorts of promises,
Vitus to abjure his religion. When he
saw that his efforts were in vain, he or-
dered Vitus to be thrown to the lions.
But the ferocious animals crept up harm-
lessly to the feet of the saint. Diocletian
ascribed this to witchcraft, and had the
saint cast into a caldron of boiling oil.
St. Vitus is represented as a boy, with a
caldron of boiling oil near him. He is
especially invoked in epilepsy.
19
MARTYRDOM OF ST. PHOKAS,
St. Phokas was a gardener in Sinope.
His little garden before the gate of the eity,
which he cultivated with untiring care,
brought him so much, that he could not
only live himself, but greatly help the
poor. Because he was a disciple of Jesus,
he did not escape the notice of the perse-
cutors. As soon as he was reported to the
authorities, soldiers were dispatched to his
residence, with commands, not to bring
him before the authorities, but at once to
kill him. On arriving at Sinope, in the
evening, worn out, they unknowingly
stopped at the door of Phokas, and asked
for refreshments. He placed before them
a welcome repast and invited them to
remain for the night. His benevolence
and kindness touched the hearts of the
soldiers, so that they confessed they had
been sent to seize Phokas in order to
20
murder him. They asked his advice in
the matter, Phokas had now a full op~
portunity to flee, but he was ready to die
for Christ. He said to the soldiers: ''I
know this Phokas. Grant me one day's
time, and I shall deliver him up to
you." The soldiers gladly waited, and
Phokas meantime gave all the necessary
orders for his funeral. On the morning of
the second day he appeared before the sol-
diers and said : "I am Phokas, whom you
seek; do what you are commanded.''
The astonished soldiers would not lift a
hand against him. Then Phokas added :
*' It is not you who kill me, but those who
sent you hither ; therefore execute your
orders.'' After a long parley, the soldiers,
who were accustomed to obey orders,
consented to behead him. St. Phokas is
represented as a gardener with a sword in
his hand.
21
MARTYRDOM OF THE THEBAN
LEGION,
During the tin^e of Diocletian and
Maximian, there was in Egypt a Roman
legion of Christian soldiers. On account
of a rebellion in Gaul the legion was
called to Rome. From Rome it was sent
to the encampment on the Rhone. The
Emperor Maximian wished to offer sacrifice
to the gods in presence of the Gallic com-
mander and the entire army. The Chris-
tian legion refused to participate in this
ceremony. The emperor, enraged at the
refusal, ordered every tenth man to be be-
headed. Still the survivors refused to ac-
cede to the emperor's demands. For the
second time he ordered every tenth man
to be beheaded. After a third refusal, he
ordered the entire legion to be executed.
The heathen soldiers carried out the order,
and the blood of these martvrs flowed
22
from the encampment into the rivef.
After the entire legion had suftered a glo-
rious martyrdom, Mauritius, the colonel,
was slain.
DEATH OF FORTY HOLY
MARTYRS.
Xhe Roman emperor Licinius ordered,
in the year 320, that each of his subjects,
.under pain of death, should offer sacrifice
to the gods. His governor, Agricola, ac-
cordingly, ordered the soldiers of the
Twelfth Legion to be summoned from St.
Sebastian. Thereupon forty warriors step-
ped forth from the ranks and fearlessly
acknowleged their Christian faith. The
.governor at first sought, through flatteries
and promises, to persuade them to sacri-
fice to the gods. Not being able to accom-
plish his purpose, he had them scourged,
and after having them torn with iron nails,
liad them cast into prison. After a few days
23
the commander-in-chief, Lysias, sought to
conquer the firmness of the confessors. But
he was vanquished. Thereupon the gover-
nor had the forty soldiers summoned before
him on a day which would freeze the blood,
and, divested of all clothing, had them
placed on a table covered with frost and ice.
Near by, a bath of lukewarm water was
placed, in order to induce the frozen con-
fessors to yield. One of them, overcome
by terrible cold, was lifted from off the
table and placed in the bath. Scarce was
he in the water when he expired. Seeing
this, a soldier in attendance, inspired by
the grace of God, divested himself of his
clothing, and took his place with the now
half-dead martyrs. After the glorious he-
roes had ceased to exist, the governor
ordered their bodies to be burned on a
funeral pyre. The forty martyrs are repre-
sented standing on an ice-covered table,
with palm branches in their hands.
24
THE MIRACLE OE ST. BLASIUS.
When Bishop Blasius was in prison, a
boy was brought to him who had a fish-
bone in his throat. No doctor could ex-
tract it. The anxious mother led her son
to the feet of the saint and implored his
help. The saint prayed, laid hands on
the sufferer, and made the sign of the cross
over him. The boy was immediately re-
lieved. After the death of the saint, many
persons were relieved of throat diseases
through his intercession. The Church,
accordingly, blesses the throats of the peo-
ple on the feast of St. Blasius.
DEATH OEST BLASIUS.
St. Blasius was Bishop of. Sebaste, in
Armenia. During the persecution of the
Christians under the rule of the Emperor
Licinius he fled to a neighboring town
and hid in a cavern. The officials who
25
were in pursuit of him found him
and led him back to Sebaste. Judge
Agricola sought, through flattery and
promises, and then through tortures, such
as brutal laceration of his flesh with sharp
iron instruments, to make him renounce
the faith. Finally, after the saint had
proved to be immovable despite of prom-
ises and tortures, he was beheaded.
THE SPIDERS WEB A DEFEN--
SIVE WALL,
During the time of the persecution of
the Christians, St. Felix was a priest at
Nola. By command of the emperor, sol-
diers were sent to capture and kill him.
Felix escaped through a gap of a ruined
wall. The soldiers discovered this, and
pursued him. But in the meantime a spi-
der had spread its web across the hole. The
soldiers concluded from this that no man
could have gone in there, and accordingly
2(>
hastened on. Hence, St. Felix escaped
death by means of a spider's web. St.
Paulinus makes this remark concerning:
the circumstances: "Where God is, a.
spider's web becomes the strongest wall ;
where God is not, the strongest wall is but;
a spider's web. Who shall not rejoice,
therefore, to serve a God who guards His
children in such a powerful and loving
manner V*
ST. NICHOLAS.
When the holy Bishop Nicholas was as
yet a simple priest, it chanced that a no-
ble family, formerly very distinguished and
opulent, through ill-fortune was reduced
to a state of indigence. He thought he
could not devote his money to a better
purpose than that of saving this family
from utter ruin. When he considered,
however, how hard it is for those who
have fallen from wealth to accept alms,
27
he threw a sum of money, during the night,
through the window, into the sleeping-
room of the head of the family. This
enabled the man to sustain his family and
to have his eldest daughter married.
Some time afterward the saint did the
same act, for the second and third time,
so that the father was enabled to attend
to the needs of his two other daughters.
But the third time, the saint flinging
the money into the sleeping-chamber, the
father suddenly woke up. He at once
rushed out in pursuit of his benefactor,
and, on overtaking him, flung himself at
his feet, expressing his profoundest grati-
tude. The saint begged the man never
to mention the incident to any one. But
the latter told everybody of his acquaint-
ance of the noble deed. The church
celebrates the feast of St. Nicholas on the
6th of December. In some countries
good children even yet receive presents
on that day.
28
ST. MARTIN AND THE BEGGAR,
St. Martin served as a Christian sol-
dier in the Roman army. While, one
cold day in winter, he was riding through
the streets of Amiens, he was asked for
alms by a half-naked beggar. Martin
cut his cloak in two, and handed one
half to the shivering beggar. The next
night, Christ appeared to him wearing the
half of the cloak that Martin had given to
the beggar, and said to the angels that
surrounded Him : ^^ Martin presented I\Ie
with this garment." The house in which
this vision occurred was afterward turned
into a church. St. Martin has since been
painted as a Roman cavalier handing half
of his cloak to a beggar.
ST MARTINS DISCHARGE FROM
THE ROMAN ARMY,
St. Martin in order to devote himself
to a religious life, requested his dis-
29
charge from his commanding officer.
The latter, enraged at this request, ac-
cused Martin of wishing to withdraw
from the army through a motive of cow-
ardice, as a battle with the Germans was
impending. Martin answered: "I will
prove to you that faith, not cowardice,
s induces me to resign from the army. I
will place myself, without arms, in the
front rank of the army, and with no other
weapon than the sign of the cross will
meet the enemy." The commander had
him thrown into prison, in order to have
him on the day of battle exposed to the
swords of the enemy. But God so or-
dained that, instead of precipitating battle,
the Germans sued for peace. Then Mar-
tin received his discharge without further
trouble.
30
MIRACLE BY ST. MARTIN.
When St. Martin was consecrated Bish-
op of Tours he endeavored to destroy the
worship of idols existing in some por-
tions of his bishopric. He found near a
certain heathen temple a gigantic fir-tree.
The heathens said to him : '* We will cat
down this tree, and if you catch it in your
arms, you will prove to us the power of
your God." Martin immediately ad-
vanced, and allowed his feet to be tied, so
that he could not escape. When the tree
fell, Martin made the sign of the cross,
and caught it in his arms without suffer-
ing the least injury.
On another occasion, jMartin entered a
pagan village. The inhabitants hastened
to see the miracle-worker. While he was
proclaiming to them the truths of the
Gospel, a woman brought the dead body
of her son, and besought the saint, in the
31
most tearful manner, to restore him to life.
Moved by the tears of the mother, and by
the thought of winning the pagans to the
Christian faith through a miracle, the saint
threw himself on his knees and prayed.
Immediately the dead boy arose to life.
In this manner St. Martin succeeded in ex-
tirpating paganism and the worship of
idols in his bishopric, and even beyond \U
COAVTAATINF, THE FIRST
CHRISTIAN EMPEROR.
In the year 306, the Emperors Canstarr-
tine and Maxentius were facing one an-
other in Italy, ready for battle. The sword
was to decide which of the. two would be
emperor of the entire Roman Empire.
Constantine had no real trust in the gods,
and before the batlle invoked the aid of
the God of the Christians. Thereupon, at
noonday, in the sight of the whole army,
a Cross appeared in the heavens, with the
32
inscription ; ''In this sign thou shalt con-
quer.'' Full of hope, Constantine had a
banner made bearing the figure of the
Cross, and led his army to battle. He
defeated his opponent Maxentius, and was
then Emperor of the whole Roman Em-
pire. Thankful for the assistance received,
he immediately put a stop to the persecu-
tion of the Christians, and granted them
protection and freedom of worship. Dur-
ing his entire reign he remained well dis-
posed towards the Christians. When Con-
stantine's end drew near, he was baptized.
He was the first Christian emperor, and
died in '^'^'],
HOW BISHOP SPIRIDION CON-
VERTED THE ARlANS.
At the famous CEcumenical Council of
Nice, held in 325, there were present 318
bishops, assembled from all parts of the
world, A most learned man defended be-
fore the council the false doctrines of
Arius, who denied the divinity of Christ,
with marvelous adroitness. Even the most
able bishops tried in vain to convince this
opponent of the error of his assertions.
Then Bishop Spiridion arose to speak.
The other bishops were apprehensive that
he could not argue against so learned a
man, on account of his lack of knowledge.
But Spiridion simply gave an exposition
of the living faith, as believed and taught
by the Catholic Church concerning the
divinity of Christ.
After Spiridion had ceased speaking, the
learned man remained silent for a while ;
then he said : " I am now convinced of
the truth of the Catholic Church. I have
contended so long, as it was only a war of
words ; but now that the divine truth has
been placed before me in all its true sim-
plicity, I admit myself conquered. And
I earnestly advise you all to submit to
34
the true doctrine as explained by this
'man. "'
A JUDGMENT OF GOD.
Arius was a heretic, who, in the time of
Constantine, denied the divinity of Christ.
Several bishops of the Roman Church fol-
lowed him in his false teachings, and hence
his heresies spread with rapidity. At the
celebrated Council of Nice, in 325, these
doctrines were considered and condemned.
Arius and his followers won over the em-
peror to their aid, through flattery, and
the latter commanded the Bishop ol Con-
stantinople to adopt the doctrines of Arius.
As Arius and his followers were marching
through Constantinople in triumph, he
was stricken by the hand of God. He
stepped aside to answer a call of na-
ture, but did not return. He was found
dead shortly afterward, with his bowels
voided. *
35
A BISHOP BEFORE A JUDGE.
The Greek emperor Valens espoused
the Arian heresy. In order to make his
entire empire Arian, he traveled over its
different provinces. Bishop Basilius ot
Caesarea was then the most zealous and
able defender of Catholic doctrine. The
emperor, regarding him as the greatest
obstacle in his way, decided to have
him removed. Basilius was brought be-
fore the judge. To the threats of the
judge, Basilius answered: "A man who
has nothing, does not fear that his goods
may be taken from him. Banishment has
no dread for me, as I regard the whole
earth as the possession of God. Neither
am I afraid of death, as it will only bring
me the nearer to God, for whom I live and
for whom I yearn." The judge replied:
*' Never before has a man spoken to me
with such frankness/' Basilius bravely an-
36
swered : ''That comes from the fact that
you never had any relations with bishops ;
for, if you had, you would receive a simi-
lar answer under the same circumstances.'*
• When the judge told the Emperor Valens
that this man could not be moved, he de-
termined to send him into banishment.
But as he was signing the order, he broke
three pens, one after another. He then
renounced his purpose, and left the bishop
in his diocese.
THE EMPEROR LEO THE ICONO-
CLAST AND THE PATRIARCH
NICEPHORUS.
The Greek emperor Leo III. was a
violent hater of Christian images. Both
by cunning and violence he sought to
abolish the pious practice of showing them
reverence. He concluded, however, that
he could not accomplish his purpose un-
less he could win over to his side Nice-
37
phorus, the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Leo thereupon strove to convince the Pa-
triarch that the true faith forbade paying-
honor to images, and said: ''Did not
Moses forbid the making of the likeness
of men, or of any other thing?'' The Pa-
triarch answered: "Moses forbade his
people to make any images to be wor-
shiped, as the Jews had seen them wor-
shiped in Egypt. It is one thing to
worship an image, and another to have
simply brought to our minds the person
whom that image represents. "
Leo would not be convinced by this ex-
planation, but sent the Patriarch into exile.
All the clergy who would not destroy the
images in their churches he cast into
prison or put to death. He placed in
the banished Patriarch's seat a bad man
who was willing to obey him in all things.
Accordingly, all the walls of the churches
whereon were painted the acts and suffer-
38
ings of Christ and the saints were white-
washed over. Sculptured or carved images
were thrown down, broken or burnt.
ST. PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRE-
LAND.—HO W ST ODRANSA VED
THE SAINT'S LIFE.
St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, was
taken captive in his youth by King Niall,
in one of his raids into Gaul. He served
seven years in bondage as a swineherd,
with Milcho, a chief who lived in the
County Antrim. Having escaped to Gaul,
he had a vision in which he heard the
voice of the Irish crying out : ' ^ We en-
treat thee, holy youth, to come and
walk still among us/' Patrick was deeply
affected by this vision, and he was sub-
sequently commissioned, to his great joy,
by Pope Celestine, to bear the faith of
Christ to the pagan Irish. His mission
was miraculously successful. He won the
39
entire nation to the doctrines of Christ
without a drop of blood having been shed
through persecution, a fact unexampled
in the history of Christianity.
But there was one martyr during his
mission. A certain idolater named Failge,
a great adversary of Christ, resolved to
kill the saint, who had destroyed the idols
to which he was bound. Odran, Patrick's
driver or charioteer, having discovered the
danger, requested his master to change
places with him in the chariot, pretending
that he was greatly fatigued. The saint,
always happy to exercise his humility, glad-
ly acquiesced. Ere long they arrived at
the spot where the assassin lay in ambush,
and as they were passing, the wretch rushed
forward, and mistaking the driver for the
servant, pierced Odran with a spear. The
saint now understood Odran's motive, and
his grief was great over his pious and de-
voted disciple. The vengeance of God
40
fell on the murderer, for he died on the
same day. St. Odran is ''the only Irish
martyr on record that suffered in Ireland
by the hands of an Irishman."
DEA TH OF ST. PA TRICK,
During his missionary Hfe St. Patrick
visited every part of Ireland, consecrating
bishops, ordaining priests, and fostering
the rehgion of Christ everywhere. Toward
the close of his life, having the happiness
of seeing the entire nation within the
Christian fold, he confined his labors al-
most exclusively to his own Archdiocese
of Armagh. Previous to his death he was
forewarned that he should not die in
Armagh, but in Saul, "a favorite retreat
which he had built upon the land given
him by his first convert, Dicho." Having
repaired to the monastery of Saul, he
awaited joyously the hour of his entrance
into eternal bliss. Being admonished by
41
his guardian angel as to the time of his
death, says the chronicler, he fortified him-
self with the divine mysteries, from the hand
of his disciple, the holy bishop Tassach, and
lifting up his eyes, he beheld the heavens
opened, and Jesus standing in the midst
of a multitude of angels. Then raising
his hands and blessing his people, and giv-
ing thanks, he passed out of this world,
from the faith unto the reality, from his
pilgrimage unto his country, from transi-
tory pain unto eternal glory.
A MIRACLE BY THE HOLY
ABBOT ROMAN,
The holy abbot Roman was once trav-
eling, with a pious brother monk, to visit
the grave of the holy martyr Mauritius.
They were overtaken by night on the way,
and they took refuge in a mountain cave.
Two lepers lived in the cave. Meantime
they were out gathering wood. On their
42
return they were astonished to find two
men in their cave, and they at once made
known their horrible disease. Roman
did not flee, however, but embraced and
kissed both, and remained with them over
night. Next morning, accompanied by
the brother, he resumed his journey.
They had not gone far before they were
overtaken by the two lepers. The latter
threw themselves at the feet of Roman and
thanked him with tearful delight, for both
had been completely healed of their hor-
rible disease.
THE LEGEND OF ST. CHRISTO-
PHORUS,
St. Christophorus's original name was
Reprobus. He was a pagan, and of gigan-
tic strength. He was proud of his great
powers, and he resolved never to serve
any one save the most powerful person on
earth. He traveled over mountain and
43
valley in many lands. At length he came
to a king who was represented to him as
being the most powerful man living.
He entered the king's service, and the
latter was proud of his giant. Once a
man sang before the king an old song de-
scribing the power of Satan. Thereupon
the king marked himself with the sign of
the cross. The giant arose and asked the
king why he crossed himself. The king^
answered : ''When I make this sign, the
power of Satan cannot hurt me. " ' ' Then, ''
answered Reprobus, ''I can no longer
serve you, but will go in search of him
who is more powerful than you.''
He went into the wilderness, in search
of Satan, and boldly marched forward
to him, when he appeared, and offered
him his service. The bargain was soon
made, and Reprobus was Satan's servant.
They traveled on over field and desert.
At last they came to a spot where a plain
44
cross was erected bearing an image of the
crucified Saviour. On seeing this, Satan
would not dare advance another step, but,
turning hastily around, walked back. When
Reprobus saw this, he asked him : ''Why
do you fly before that sign ?" Satan an-
swered : '' I must fly from that sign, for it
represents Christ, who conquered me on
the cross." On hearing this, Reprobus left
Satan, and traveled on till he met a hermit.
The latter said to him : ''Jesus Christ is
the most powerful Being of all ; whosoever
will serve Him must watch, fast and pray."
Reprobus answered, "I cannot do that;
I will serve Him in some other manner."
Then the hermit led him on to a river and
said : " Build yourself a hut here, and carry
the travelers over this stream for the love
of the Lord." Reprobus worked untir-
ingly night and day to carry out the com-
mand of the hermit. One night he heard
a child calling. He immediately arose.
45
lifted it tenderly on his shoulders, and,
supported by his stout staff, carried it
through the waves. In the middle of the
river, the child grew heavier, and at last
Reprobus cried out anxiously : '* O child,
how heavy you are!'' The child answered :
''You are, in truth, carrying not only the
whole world, but Him that created the
heavens and the earth. " He baptized the
giant in the water, and said : "I am
Jesus Christ, and I baptize thee, that thou
mayest henceforth be a Christian, and bear
the name of Christophorus. " And Chris-
tophorus rem^ained a steadfast Christian.
At last, when a pagan king sought to
compel him to offer sacrifice to the false
gods, he laid his head under the ax, and
died for Christ, his Lord.
PATIENCE OF ST. EPHRAIM.
St. Ephraim, after a long and weakening
fast, said to a brother of the order, who
46
was accustomed to serve him: ''Dear
brother, bring me something to eat, for I
am very weak/' The brother hastened to
obey the command of the reverend father.
He hastily prepared a meal and was bring-
ing it to the father's cell, when, unluckily,
he stumbled and let the plate drop, spill-
ing the contents and breaking the plate
into pieces. Overcome with shame, the
good brother could only blush and look
at the results of his negligence on the
floor, in the form of broken pieces and
scattered food. St. Ephraim saw the acci-
dent and smilingly remarked, in his soft-
est tones : ''Be not disturbed, dear bro-
ther ; since our meal has not come to us,
we will go to the meal." And so saying,
he sat down on the floor patiently and
partook of the scattered fragments of the
frugal repast.
47
ST. MONICA'S MA TERNAL LOVE.
St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine,
the illustrious Bishop of Hippo, was born
in Numidia, now Algeria, Africa, in the
year 332, Her husband was a pagan, and
a man of violent temper and many vices*
The ambition of Augustine's father was to
give his son a finished education, so that
he would rise in the world. Monica sec-
onded her husband in his desire, but her
hope was that her son w^ould devote his
cultured talents to the glory of God.
In his seventeenth year Augustine went
to Carthage to study rhetoric. While
there he fell into bad company, contracted
evil habits, and espoused the Manichaean
heresy. Monica, on learning this, was in-
consolable. She forbade her son to eat at
her table or sleep beneath her roof there-
after. This severity she exercised to cause
him to reflect on his errors. Her days
48
and nights were passed in tears and prayers
for the conversion of the son, so much so*
that a good bishop once consoled her
with the remark: "It is impossible that
a child of such tears should perish." She
followed her son in all his travels from
city to city, redoubling her prayers and her
tears. When he set out for Rome to teach
rhetoric, Monica, fearing the associations
of the great pagan city might delay his
conversion, followed him and found him
at Milan, where the great St. Ambrose was
then archbishop. Here she renewed her
prayers and exhortations, and finally had
the consolation of seeing her illustrious
son baptized by the hands of St. Ambrose.
Monica then was ready to die ; she had
no more to live for ; her prayers had been
heard ; her happiness was complete. On
her way home with her now converted son
she was seized with a fever and died in
Italy, where she was buried, St. Monica
49
has ever been regarded as the model of
mothers, and many churches throughout
the world have been erected in her honor.
ST. AUGUSTINE:
St. Augustine, busied in thought, was
walking one day along the seashore. He
was pondering on the mystery of the Bles-
sed Trinity, and thinking how he could
solve it. Suddenly he saw a little boy
dipping water from the seashore into a
hole he had dug in the sand. The saint
asked the little boy : ** What are you do-
ing here.?" The boy answered: ''I am
going to empty the sea into this little
hole." The saint smiled and said : ''That
is impossible." ''Well," repHed the boy,
''I will have the sea emptied into this lit-
tle hole sooner than you will have solved
the mystery of the Blessed Trinity." Then
the boy vanished.
KING THEODOSIUS AND ARCH- .
BISHOP AMBROSE.
When St. Ambrose was Archbishop of
Milan, the Roman emperor Theodosius
resided there, lliis emperor had, on ac-
count of a revolt in Thessalonica in which
several imperial officials had been stoned,
ordered seven thousand men to be sur-
rounded in the amphitheatre by soldiers
and slaughtered on the spot. When this
terrible news reached Milan, St. Ambrose
wrote a letter to the emperor wherein he
commanded him to make public penance
for so grievous a crime. But when Theodo-
sius arrived at the vestibule of the church,
Ambrose met him. He upbraided him for
the crime of having shed so much inno-
cent blood, and forbade him to enter the
church. The emperor acknowledged his
crime, and stood by the door of the church
in open penitence, while he implored
51
God, on his knees, in tearful supplication,
to grant him pardon. The people were
so moved on seeing this exhibition of pub-
lic penance, that they wept with the re-
pentant emperor. But Ambrose was not
satisfied with that, for he exacted from the
emperor a promise that, during his future
life, he would never allow the death-sen-
tence to be executed until thirty days after
the death-warrant had been signed by him,
so as to give him time for reconsideration.
Theodosius promulgated this law, and
Ambrose received him once more into the
communion of the faithful.
THE POWER OF THE SIGN OF
THE CROSS.
Once the monks of a certain monastery
whose abbot had just died came to St.
Benedict and implored him to become the
head of their institution. He accepted,
but the monks found themselves deceived
52
in him. He was too rigorous for their
ideas, and he would not tolerate their dis-
obedience of the rules. The virulence
against him at length went so far that
some of them resolved to kill him. They
put poison in the wine which was placed
on the table before the holy man when
taking his frugal meal. Benedict, as was
his wont, made the sign of the cross over
the victuals he was about to eat, and im-
mediately the glass that contained the wine
burst into fragments. The holy man re-
cognized from this that a death-dose had
been placed before him, from the effects of
which he had been saved by the sign of life.
He immediately arose and said to the as-
sembled monks : ''Brothers, may the Al-
mighty God have mercy on you ! Why
did you do such a thing in regard to me?
Did I not always tell you that your morals
and mine did not harmonize? Go now
and find a superior who will suit your
53
morals better. From this moment yon
will not have me at your head any more/"^
And so saying, he left the monastery and
returned once more to his beloved desert
solitude.
HOW ST. BENEDICT RESCUED
HIS BELOVED PUPIL MAURUS
FROM DROWNING.
St. Benedict had two pupils, named
Maurus and Placidus. One day he sent
Placidus to a pond near by to bring some
water. Placidus hastened to obey the
command of the beloved father. But
while engaged in drawing the water he
fell into the pond. St. Benedict saw in
spirit Placidus struggling with death, and
sent Maurus at once to his aid. Maurus
asked his blessing, hastened to the pond,
and rescued Placidus. When they had
come ashore, Maurus recollected that he
had walked on the surface of the water.
54
and he ascribed the miracle to the bless-
ing of his beloved father. Benedict, how-
ever, assured him it was God who had
performed the miracle, as a reward for
liis prompt obedience.
ST. BENEDICT AND TOTILA,
St. Benedict was endowed with the gifts
of working miracles and of prophecy.
Totila, King of the Goths, wished to put
him to the test. He informed the saint
that he was to pay him a visit, but sent
instead one of his servants named Rippo,
in kingly attire, attended by a gorgeous
retinue. Benedict saw them coming and
called to Rippo from a distance, "My
son, put by w^hat you have on — they do
not belong to you. " Rippo and his at-
tendants were surprised, and told the king
how the royal robes did not deceive Bene-
dict. Totila then personally visited the holy
man and prostrated himself reverentlj^ at
55
his feet. Benedict said : " You do much
that is wrong, and you have done much
that is wicked. Renounce your evil ways.
You will reign nine years, and you shall
die in the tenth." Totila was deeply trou-
bled at these words, implored the holy
man to pray for him, and renounced his
cruel ways. The saint's prophecy was
fulfilled.
XEO THE GREAT IN PRESENCE
OF GENSERia
Scarce had Italy torn herself from the
grip of the Huns, when Genseric, King
of the Vandals, landed on her shores with
a great fleet, in the year 455. Carrying
fire and sword everywhere he went, he at
length approached Rome. Pope Leo went
forward to meet him, as three years before
he had met the terrible Attila. He did not
succeed in having the city wholly spared
this time, however. Genseric stormed
56
Rome, but did not destroy it. He did not
murder as he went; he simply plundered
the city, and then returned to Africa.
THE HUNS BEFORE PARIS, AND
ST. GENEVIEVE.
In the fifth century, King Attila, with
his Huns, bore down on Europe from the
East. He destroyed all before him. No-
body could withstand him. At length he
marched for the great city of Paris. When *
the inhabitants heard of his approach they
were sorely troubled. They resolved to fly
fiom the city with all their portable goods.
At this time St. Genevieve lived in the
city. She came out of her cloister and
calling the women of Paris together, she
implored them to pray fervently. She
also addresse 1 the men, telling them to
remove none of their goods, as, through
the interposition of God, they would be
spared.' And ^o it happened. St. Gen-
57
enevieve obtained from God, through her
prayers and the prayers of the people of
Paris, the request she asked. The Huns
passed by the city without attacking it.
From that time to the present day St. Gen-
evieve is honored as the patron saint of
Paris.
ST. PAULINUS AS A SLAVE.
At the time when the Vandals were rav-
aging Italy with fire and sword and car-
rying off the inhabitants into slavery, St.
Paulinus was Bishop of Nola. One day a
widow came to him filled with grief, and
told him that the barbarians had carried off
her son. The holy bishop could give her no
advice, as he had no money wherewith to
ransom the captive. In. this difficulty he
resolved to give himself up as a slave in
the place of the widow's son. He went to
Africa, accompanied by the mother. The
son was soon found. His master willingly
53.
took the bishop, whose dignity he knew
not, in place of the widow's son, as a slave.
For a long time the bishop worked as a
gardener. When, at length, his master
discovered his true character, and that he
had, of his own free will, become a slave,
he generously gave him his freedom. He
even asked him to demand any favor he
wished. Paulinus asked nothing but the
freedom of all the prisoners from Nola.
Honored by the Vandals, who were aston-
ished at his magnanimous action, Paulinus
returned to Nola with the released slaves,
where he was received by the people amid
general rejoicings. In remembrance of
this noble action, the saint is represented
in bishop's vestments, with a broken chain
in his hand.
^^
59
ST. ARBOGASr RESTORES A
KINGS SON TO LIFE,
The only son of King Dagobert went
one day to the chase. While his compan-
ions had scattered through the forest with
the hounds, a wild boar rushed forth. His
horse took fright and threw him from the
saddle. He hung from the stirrups and
was dragged along by the frightened ani-
mal. After a long search he was found by
the hunters, and amid loud lamentations:
was borne to his home. He died the
next day. The sorrow of the people min^
gled with that of his parents. Following
the advice of his people, the king sent a
messenger to St. Arbogast, Bishop of Stras-
burg. The latter immediately set forth.
The king and the bishop could scarce ex-
change words on account of their grief.
The queen came forward and fell on her
knees, weeping aloud. The bishop, sym-
6o
pathizing with her in her anguish, lifted
her to her feet. Without waiting for any
refreshment after his journey, Arbogast re-
tired to the church. Before the shades of
evening fell, he entered the room where
the dead young man lay. God did not
leave his servant long in anxious suspense.
While Arbogast was praying the young
man raised his head. Overcome with joy,
the saint raised the boy to his feet. Then
he ordered that the shroud should be re-
moved, and the prince clothed in his royal
attire.
Those who were present could not re-
strain themselves from breaking out in
cries of joy. The king and queen were
lifted from the depths of sorrow to the
pinnacle of joy. They offered the richest
gifts to the saint. The latter, how-
ever, would accept nothing, but simply
expressed his desire that in thanksgiving
to God the king should make an offering
6i
to the Church of Our Blessed Lady in Stras-
burg. St. Arbogast is honored as the pa-
tron saint of Strasburg to the present day.
ST. ISIDORE, A PEASANT,
St. Isidore was a peasant in Spain.
He worked for a nobleman. He was as
zealous in the service of God as he was in
the service of his employer. He attended
Mass every day before beginning work.
Some evil-disposed persons told his em-
ployer that he had neglected his work.
The nobleman w^ent out to the field early
one morning to see if Isidore was at work.
He was surprised to see the youth, clad in
white, following the plow at such an early
hour. From that moment the nobleman
placed the fullest confidence in his servant,
and allowed him to attend his devotions
without remonstrance. The Church cele-
brates the feast of St. Isidore on the loth
of May.
62
HONESTY OF ST. ELIGIUS.
The holy Bishop Eligius was in early
youth apprenticed to an honest goldsmith.
Subsequently King Chlotar II. had his
attention drawn to the skill of young Eli-
gius. He asked him to build a royal
throne, and gave him a large amount of
gold and precious stones for the purpose.
After a time, Eligius brought the throne
to the king. The king was lost in ad-
miration of the exquisite workmanship
displayed, and ordered that a rich reward
should be granted to Eligius. Thereupon
Eligius produced a royal footstool, and
said that there was enough gold remaining
to make another. The king was deeply
moved at the young man's honesty. He
insisted that Eligius should reside in his
palace, and made him a master of the
mint. Eligius objected to the taking of
the customary oath of fidelity. When
63
pressed by the king, he burst into tears.
He did not wish to offend the king, and
at the same time he would not perform an
act to which he had conscientious objec-
tions. The king then withdrew his com-
mand, consoled Eligius, and said : *'It is
well. Your objection to swear gives me
more confidence in you than if you had
taken a hundred oaths. "
HOW ST. CUTHBERT RULED
WIND AND FIRE,
More than a thousand years ago, St.
Cuthbert was superior of a monastery in
England. But not alone in the monas-
tery did he serve God with a holy zeal, but
he traveled throughout the most distant
districts, instructing the ignorant in the
word of God. In one of his missions he
entered the house of a woman whom he
had long known. A fire broke out in the
village. A violent wind blew the fiery sparks
64
from roof to roof. The anxious woman
implored the holy Cuthbert that her house
and the village might not be destroyed.
The saint replied : *' Do not be troubled,
the fire will not injure you." He then
went to the door and prayed. Immediately
the wind changed and turned the flames
toward the other side, where there were no
houses, and the village was saved.
HOW GOD PROVIDED ST, CUTH-
BERT AND HIS PUPIL WITH
FOOD.
St. Cuthbert, accompanied by a boy,
was once traveling on a mission. Both
were tired and hungry, and as yet at a
long distance from their destination. The
boy complained that they had nothing with
them, and that nothing could be procured.
The saint replied : " You must have faith
and hope in God, for no one wants who
serves Him faithfully.'' While they were
65
thus talking, the road led them along the
bank of a stream, where they saw an eagle
perched on a rock. St. Culhbert said to
the boy : ^ ' Hurry thither and bring us
what the Lord sends us through this mes-
senger.'' The boy returned with a large
fish, which the eagle had just caught. St.
Culhbert then remarked : '' But, my son,
why did you not give a share to the mes-
senger ? Quick, go and bring him half, as a
reward for his services."' The boy did so.
The other half they prepared when they
came to the nearest house, and satisfied
the appetites of both themselves and the
family.
HOW THE HERMIT AGATHO
TAUGHT HIS PUPILS CONSCI-
ENTIOUSNESS.
The aged father Agatho lived the Xi'i^ of
a hermit for many years in the wilderness.
One day he was traveling with his scholars^
66
\vhen one of them found a package of
peas on the road. He said to Agatho :
•^'Father, if you order me to do so, I shall
bring it along.'' The aged man looked at
him in astonishment and replied: *'Did
you leave that bundle here.?" *'No."
Agatho answered : ''Why, then, should you
take with you something which you did
not leave here ?"
THE CHARITABLE ABBOT ODHO,
As St. Martin divided his cloak with a
beggar, so the Abbot Odilo gave his gar-
ment to the dead. He was traveling, on
a certain occasion, through a portion of
the country afflicted by famine. On the
way, he found two naked children who
had died of hunger and cold. He got
down from his horse, wrapped the bodies
in his overcoat, and paid some persons
living near by to help him to bury them.
He then continued on his journev. As
67
the famine lasted several years, the chari-
table Odilo sold his sacred altar-vessels
and ornaments and a golden crown that
King Henry of Germany had presented to
his monastery, and supported the poor with
the proceeds.
HOW THE ANGLO-SAXONS RE-
CEIVED CHRISTIANITY.
Some young Anglo-Saxons were once
standing in the Roman market to be sold
as slaves. Gregory the Great happened
to pass near them, and he stopped to ad-
mire their handsome figures and noble
bearing. He asked to what nation they
belonged. He was told they were Angles.
^^ Well," he replied, ''be angels, and the
kingdom of heaven shall be yours." When
he afterward became Pope he sent mis-
sionaries to England to convert the people
to Christianity. The Angles received the
faith readily, and became zealous Christians.
68
They sent St. Boniface and many other
holy missionaries to convert the Germans.
DEATH OF ST. KILIAN AND HIS
COMPANIONS.
St. Kilian, accompanied by two com-
panions, went from Ireland to the vicinity
of Wurzburg to preach the Gospel. The
fame of his deeds reached the ears of
Duke Gosbert. The latter had Kilian
summoned to his court, listened to him
with attention, immediately renounced
his idolatry, and with several of his court-
iers received holy baptism. But St. Kili-
an's joy over his success was marred by
the knowledge that Gosbert had married
Gailana, the wife of his living brother.
Gosbert promised the saint to dismiss his
wife, and then proceeded on a campaign.
Gailana, however, heard of what was in
contemplation. She wickedly took the
terrible resolve to have the holy bishop and
69
his companions murdered. She gave for
this purpose a large sum of money to two
of her servants. These forced their way
at early morning into the sleeping-cham-
bers of the castle, and drawing their ssvords,
slew the bishop and those who accom-
panied him
ST. TRUDBERT IN THE BLACK
FOREST.
More than a thousand years ago, Sl
Trudbert went from Rome as a pilgrim
and took up his abode in the Munster
Valley, in the upper Black Forest.
Count Ottbert, to whom the country be-
longed, gave him a tract of \incultivated
land whereon to build a monastery. He
also gave him the assistance of six men to
clear the ground and erect the building.
After St. Trudbert had lived there four
years as a hermit, and had given advice
and aid to all those who visited him, he
70
was slain by two wicked men. His body
was buried in the chapel. On this spot a
large Benedictine monastery was afterward
erected, from which were sent many zealous
missionaries to win over the heathens of
the surrounding country to the Church of
Christ. In the beginning of this century
this monastery was still standing. The
last of its abbots ordered, in bitter grief,
that a gravestone should be erected to
him with a representation of soldiers cast-
ing dice, accompanied with the inscrip-
tion : ^^My clothes they have divided
among them, and for my garment they
have cast lots." His request was fulfilled,
and the stone stands near the spot where
the saint to whom the monastery owed its
origin and name, twelve hundred years
previously, met his death.
ST. OTTILIA AND THE LEPER.
St. Ottilia was a daughter of a duke in
Alsace. As she had a great desire to en-
ter the cloister, she received from her
father the Castle of Hohenburg, which she
converted into a convent for women.
Gradually a large number of young women
joined her, and, under her guidance, lived
a holy life. She also built a hospital and
tended the sick. On one occasion a man
who was afflicted with leprosy appeared at
the door, emitting an unbearable odor.
The abbess wished to bring him some-
thing to eat. The aspect of the leper was so
horrible, however, that she felt like with-
drawing from his presence. But Ottilia
suddenly resolved to conquer this natural
weakness. She took the wretched man in
her arms, as if he were a feeble child, and
put the food into his mouth. She wept
with pity, and prayed : ' ' Lord, restore him
72
to health, or grant him patience/' No
sooner had the leper finished his meal
than he was wholly cured.
ST. BRIDGETS CHOICE.
St. Bridget, Patroness of Ireland, ac-
companied by her nuns, was, on a certain
occasion, in the presence of Bishop Mac-
celle, from whom she had received the
veil, and she asked the good bishop to give
them a brief instruction on some pious
subject. The bishop delivered a brief dis-
course on the ''Eight Beatitudes." Where-
upon the saint, turning to her sister nuns,
said: ''We are eight virgins, and eight
virtues are offered to us as a means of sanc-
tification. It is true that whoever prac-
tices one virtue perfectly must possess
every other; yet let each of us now choose
a virtue for special devotion."
St. Bridget, as superioress, was request-
ed to make the first choice, and she chose
11
that sweetest of all virtues, Mercy. Her
whole life afterward was a living illustra-
tion of the virtue which she had chosen.
ST, BONIFACE AND THE ANCIENT
OAK,
St. Boniface preached the gospel to the
Hessians. They reverenced a very ancient
oak, and offered sacrifice under it to
their thunder-god, Thor. The saint look-
ed on this pagan practice with detestation,
and proceeded to cut down the tree. The
pagans standing around believed that Thor
would avenge this outrage by striking
Boniface dead with lightning at the first
stroke of the ax. But the tree fell, and
the saint stood unhurt. On seeing this,
the pagan Hessians renounced their false
gods and embraced Christianity. Out of
the wood of this oak St. Boniface built a
chapel, which he dedicated to St. Peter.
74
3IABTYBD0M OF ST. BONIFACE.
When St. Boniface was an old man of
eighty-five years, his zeal for the welfare
of souls kept him as busy as when in the
heyday of his vigor. He delivered over
the Archbishopric of Mayence to his pupil
Lullus, and with several companions set
out to convert the pagan Frisians. He
instructed and baptized many thousands of
them. At length came the 5th of June,
the eve of the feast of Whitsuntide, when
he was to administer the holy sacra-
ment of confirmation to the new con-
verts. Boniface had tents erected in the
open field, and, engaged in prayer, awaited
the arrival of those about to be confirmed.
Suddenly, however, a mob of armed pagan
Frisians burst in upon him. His attend-
ants and the new converts wished to de-
fend him, but Boniface came forward and
said: ^^ Children, do not fight. This is
75
the day for which I have this many a year
longed. The hour of my freedom has now
come. Be constant, brothers, and fear
nothing which cannot harm your souls.
Calmly complete the short road to death
which will lead you into the heavenly
kingdom." Then holding the gospel over
his head, he received his death-blow. With
St. Boniface fifty-two companions suffered
martyrdom. His remains are buried in
Fulda.
CHARLEMAGNE AND BISHOP
LUDGERUS.
Charlemagne once summoned the holy^
Ludgerus, Bishop of Munster, to hi&
palace. The saint went. But when the^
messenger arrived to lead him into the
presence of the emperor, he found the
bishop reading his breviary. He replied
that he would comply with the com-
mand as soon as he had finished his
76
prayers. Some of his enemies sought to
arouse the emperor's anger on account of
this delay. When Ludgerus appeared be-
fore his majesty, the emperor indignantly
asked why he had compelled him to wait.
The bishop mildly answered: ^^I know
my obligations to your majesty. But I
believed you would not be indignant if I
gave God the preference. Your imperial
majesty, in appointing me bishop, com-
manded me to serve God in preference
to men."
This answer made such an impression
on the mind of the emperor that he treated
him with the greatest consideration, while
the bishop's enemies fell into disgrace.
THE PATRIARCH IGNATIUS AND
THE SCHISMATIC PHOTIUS
The Greek emperor Michael III. enter-
tained a violent liatred for the Patriarch
Ignatius of Constantinople, banished him,
11
and placed a sycophant named Photius in
the patriarchal chair. Photius wrote a
hypocritical and mendacious letter to the
Pope, saying that Ignatius had resigned,
that he himself had been forced to
accept the patriarchal dignity, and that he,
therefore, prayed for his holiness's recog-
nition. The Pope detected the trick,
and excommunicated Photius. The latter,
however, through the favor of the new
emperor, Basil, retained the patriarchal
seat eleven years, and gathered around
him all those bishops opposed to the
Pope. But when the emperor saw the
great discontent that such a state of
affairs produced among his subjects, he
dared no longer protect so dangerous a
man, and he recalled the Patriarch Igna-
tius from exile. Thexlatter at once set to
work to heal the wounds inflicted on the
Church. When, worn out by suffering
and old age, he died, in 878, Photius
78
again resumed the patriarchal seat, and
continued his evil conduct. The schism
which he caused continues to the present
day in the Eastern Church.
MIRACLE BY THE HOLY BISHOP
ULRICH
Bishop Ulrich of Augsburg on a cer-
tain occasion received a visit from his
friend, the pious Bishop Conrad of Con-
stance. Both prelates took their meal in a
house near the church. They chatted with
one another on pious subjects until after
midnight, when it was Friday morning.
Just at that moment a messenger from the
Duke of Bavaria entered the room and
handed Bishop Ulrich a letter. The holy
man presented to the messenger a piece
of meat which lay on the table, uncon-
scious of the fact that it was then Friday.
The evil-minded messenger immediately
hastened to the residence of the duke, to
79
tell him what a hypocrite Ulrich was, in-
asmuch as he ate meat on Friday, and
even invited himself to do so. When the
slanderer wished to afford a proof of his
accusation, he found to his utter discom-
fiture that the piece of meat was changed
into a fish. Hence, the holy bishop is al-
ways represented in episcopal attire, with
a fish in his hand.
THE MAGNANIMOUS BISHOP
WOLFGANG,
A BEGGAR once secretly sneaked into
the room of Bishop Wolfgang and cut off
a large piece of the bed-curtains. As he
was trying to escape he was caught by a
servant, who led him into the presence of
the bishop, and recommended that he
should receive a severe punishment. The
good bishop asked the thief why he had
committed such an act. The latter an-
swered, in tremulous accents : ''Because L
8o
had no clothing, as you may see. " The
bishop thereupon gave him a good suit of
clothes, and remarked to his servant: *^If
he had not been half naked he certainly
would not have stolen anything. But if it
happen again, then he shall be punished/'
DEATH OF THE HOLY BISHOP
WOLFGANG,
Bishop Wolfgang of Regensburg was
once called to Lower Austria on import-
ant business in relation to Church prop-
erty. Despite his great age and bodily
weakness, he concluded that he would be
able to make the long journey and attend
to the business in person. While sailing
down the Danube, however, he was stricken
with a fatal fever, which compelled him to
go ashore at the next landing-place. He
gave orders that he should be carried into
the church and laid on the bare floor be-
fore the altar. Here, with intense fervor,
8i
he received the most holy .sacrament, and
exhorted all those around him to lead
good lives. As the people continued to
press into the church to see the dying
bishop, the sexton shut the doors. The
bishop immediately said : ''Open the
doors and do not hinder any one from
coming in, for it is no shame to die. We
must fulfill this law of nature, for the
Creator Himself was not ashamed to
die on the cross for the sins of fhe
world. May the Lord extend His mercy
to me, and to each of you who sees me
die with a contrite heart and with fear of
his own death, as no one is sure of his sal-
vation." The saint then closed his eyes
and entered into the sleep of the Lord,
Oct. 31, 994.
*7^e|9^
^2
BISHOP CONRADS REVERENCE
FOR THE MOST HOLY SACRA-
31ENT.
While Bishop Conrad of Constance
was celebrating Mass in the cathedral on
Easter Sunday, he perceived, just after the
words of consecration had been pronoun-
ced, a spider in the chalice. Although
spiders were considered poisonous, the
bishop did not think of the danger to
nis life, but, full of faith and trust in
God, drank the contents of the chalice,
spider and all. After the holy man had
returned to his dwelling, he sat down
by a table, with his head buried in his
hands. His servants wxre troubled,
and asked him the cduse of his distress,
but he only tried to console them by a few
friendly words. Immediately afterward,
the spider, unhurt, crawled out of his
mouth. Then for the first time he related
83
to the servants what had happened in the
church, and how he had been miraculously
relieved of the spider. Hence, the holy
Bishop Conrad is represented with a
chalice, into which a spider is descending.
BISHOP CONRAD'S GIFT OF
PROPHECY,
Bishop Conrad of Constance returned
home on a certain occasion and found a
young man seated in the episcopal chair.
The youth, overcome with confusion,
leaped up quickly, but the bishop called
him back, and said: ''You will not be
my successor in this seat immediately
after my death. It will be another person.
But the time will come when God will
raise you to that dignity." And so it came
to pass. After the death of Conrad,
Gamonald became Bishop of Constance.
The latter was succeeded by St. Gebhard.
He was the young man who in a frolic
84
had seated himself in the bishop's episcopal
chair many years before.
ST, HUGO AND THE CA VALIER.
Most men during sickness think of
nothing else but their sufferings. This
was not the case with the holy man Hugo,
however. When, during his last illness,
he was visited by both clergy and laity, he
made an edifying remark to each, according
to their station in life or their past relations
with himself. A prominent cavalier knelt
with the others beside his bed and asked
his blessing. Thereupon Hugo gave him
this stern rebuke : "You are hurrying to
eternal damnation, on account of the unjust
tribute that you exact from your subjects.''
The cavalier was astounded on hearing
such a reproach from a man who was al-
ready on the verge of the grave. He re-
plied : ''This must have been revealed
to you by God Himself. True, I have
85
recently imposed a heavy tax on my dis~
trict, but it is not as yet collected. Aft- r
this warning, I shall not collect it."
HUMILITY OF WENGESLAUS OF
BOHEMIA.
The pious Duke Wenceslaus of Bohemia
was greatly esteemed by the Emperor
Otho I. During a sitting of the Imperial
Diet at Worms, Otho placed the duke at
his side and promised to grant him any-
thing he pleased to ask. Wenceslaus, how-
ever, requested nothing other than an arm
of St. Vitus and some of the bones of St.
Sigismund. Astonished at this request,
the emperor said : " You shall receive the
relics on my return home, and in addition
the title of king, and the privilege of bear-
ing the imperial eagle on your banner. "'
Wenceslaus was delighted on receiving the
relics, but he declined the title of king.
After his return to Pra2:ue he caused a
86
church to be erected, in which the holy
relics were deposited.
ST. WENCESLAUS'S 3IARTYRD0M.
The pious Duke Wenceslaus of Bohe-
mia was bitterly hated by his wicked
mother, Drahomira, and his equally wick-
ed brother, Boleslaus. Both devised a
plan to murder him. A son was born to
Boleslaus, and he invited his brother to the
feast given on the occasion. The saint
suspected danger, but out of consideration
for his brother accepted the invitation.
The feast lasted till late in the night.
Wenceslaus took no pleasure in the gen-
eral rejoicing, and retired meantime to a
church near by to pray. Drahomira saw
him leave, and intimated to Boleslaus to
go and accomplish their bloody purpose.
Boleslaus, accompanied by several servants,
surprised his brother in the church and
pierced him through with a lance. Shortly
afterward, many striking miracles took
place at the saint's grave. The body was
therefore exhumed and transferred to St.
Vitus's Church, in Prague.
CANONIZATION OF THE E3IPBESS
GUNIGUNDE.
CuNiGUNDE was the pious and virtuous
consort of the German emperor Henry I.
During her husband's reign she was the
ornament of his throne, a protectress of
the Church and a mother to the poor.
After the death of the emperor, she en-
tered the Convent of Kaufungen. After
her death there, her body was borne, amid
an immense assemblage of people, to the
Church of St. Peter, in Bamberg, and laid
beside that of her husband. A hundred
and sixty years after her death she was
canonized by Pope Innocent III. On the
occasion of the solemn promulgation of this
act, the Pope declared that, having found,
88
after a careful investigation, the Empress
Cunigunde was possessed of complete
virtue, and it having been proven that
many miracles had been wrought through
her intercession, he, in accordance with
the advice of several bishops, enrolled the
name of the empress in the calendar of
the saints.
WE SHOULD CHEERFULLY FOR-
GIVE THOSE WHO INJURE US,
St. Gualbert was by birth an Italian
nobleman. He met, one day, in a deep
valley, the murderer of his brother,
against whom he had sworn mortal ven-
geance. When the murderer saw the
brother of the man whom he had slain,
accompanied by an armed retinue, he
gave himself up as lost. He leaped from
his horse, flung himself on the ground,
crossed his arms on his breast, and awaited
his death-blow. This fiorure of the cross
89
on the breast of his defenseless foe re*
minded Gualbert of Him who on the
cross prayed for His enemies. His heart
was touched- He forgave the murderer of
his brother and let him pass on uninjured.
After Gualbert had thus spared the life
of the object of his vengeance, he entered a
church on the road, to pray. While rever-
ently gazing at a crucifix before him, he
saw the head of the Saviour bow toward
him. Gualbert was seized with amaze-
ment and fright. He said to himself:
■''If God rewards the little that I have done
for Him with such a great and glorious
miracle, what will be the reward He will
give me in heaven, if I serve Him faith-
fully on earth ?'' He immediately re-
nounced the world, entered a neighboring
Benedictine monastery, and led a holy life.
go
PETER THE HERMIT PREACHING
THE CRUSADES,
When the Mohammedans, in 1072, held
the Holy Land, they ill-treated and cruelly
oppressed the Christians there. They dis-
turbed and opposed the worship of God
in the holy places and plundered the pil-
grims. The cries of the oppressed became
louder and louder in the ears of the people
of Europe. In the year 109^, Peter the
Hermit, of Amiens, brought to Pope Ur-
ban HI. a pressing petition from the Pa-
triarch of Jerusalem. He described to the
Holy Father in touching words the condi-
tion of the Christians of the Holy Land
Tha Pope listened to the words of the
holy man with heartfelt sorrow. He ac-
cordingly gave him permission to arouse
the peoples of the West to undertake a
crusade for the redemption of the holy
places. Peter traveled through France
91
and Italy, clad in the garb of a monky
barefooted, and riding on an ass. With
crucifix in hand, he went from city to city,
describing the desecration of the holy
places. He was everywhere received as a
messenger from heaven. His progress was
one unbroken procession. Everywhere
he went the people declared t^eir deter-
mination no longer to tolerate the out-
rages of the Mohammedans.
ST. NORBERT AND HIS GATE-
KEEPER.
The holy Abbot Norbert was chosen
Archbishop of Magdeburg. He accepted
the dignity only when forced to do so by
the Papal ambassador. But when he ac-
cepted his high office he did not change
his rigorous mode of life. He entered
Magdeburg barefooted and clad in the
poorest garments. The gatekeeper of
the archiepiscopal palace thought he was
92
accosted by a beggar, and rudely ordered
him away. But when the archbishop's at-
tendant informed the gatekeeper that the
apparent beggar was no other than his
archbishop and master, the impudent serv-
itor ran away in confusion. Norbert,
however, called him back, and, in a pleas-
ant voice, said to him: ''Do not be
alarmed, my dear brother ; you have judged
ine far better than those who compelled
me to enter this palace, of which I cer-
tainly am not worthy."
A MIRACLE BY ST. BERNARD.
The miracles performed by St. Bernard
in the presence of the people were of the
most remarkable character. On one occa-
sion a woman, who was so tormented by
the devil that she could no longer speak,
see or hear, was brought to him in the
church ; she gnashed her teeth, contorted
her tongue, and acted more like a mon-
93
ster than a human being. As often as the
saint, during holy Mass, made the sign of
the cross over the Sacred Host, he also
made it over the woman, who had to be
held down by the arms of strong men.
On these occasions she would foam at the
mouth and stamp with her feet. After the
Pater Noster, the saint descended from the
altar with the Sacred Host, held it over
the woman's head, and commanded the de-
mon, in the name of God, there present, to
fly. He then ascended the steps of the altar
and broke the Adorable Host. When he
uttered the words, "Pax vobiscum," the
demon had fled. The woman was re-
stored, and praised God in a loud voice.
The joy of the people who witnessed this
miracle was boundless.
94
HOW FATHER FRANCIS GALUZZI
CONVERTED CRUIINAL8.
Father Francis Galuzzi was once called
to attend a criminal under sentence of
death in a prison at Rome. The unfortu-
nate man would not listen to any advice
concerning conversion or confession, and
acted like a madman. Galuzzi, with tears
and entreaties, prayed, like Moses: ''O
Lord, pardon this unhappy man, or strike
me put of the book of life Y' He then
arose, approached the criminal and em-
braced him. All at once the obstinacy of
the latter vanished. He confessed his sins
with heartfelt contrition, and expressed
himself ready to accept death as the just
penalty of his crimes.
On another occasion, Father Galuzzi
was called to the presence of a wealthy
youth who was mortally ill. The latter
had led a dissipated life, and was ac-
95
customed to utter the most horrible blas-
phemies. The young man received the
father with repelhng countenance and ab-
ruptly turned his back to him. Neverthe-
less, the father reminded him of the ne-
cessity of making his confession. This
only aroused the anger of the youth, who
burst into an access of fury and shrieked
that he would never see the father again.
Thus the matter stood, when the pious
father asked the youth's permission to
touch him with the relics of St. Francis
Xavier, and to invoke the saint's interces-
sion for him. To the great astonishment
of those present, the young man did
not offer the least opposition. When the
prayer was ended, he made his confession
with every sign of sincere contrition,
pressed the crucifix to his bosom, and was
converted to Christ.
96
THE BEASTS OF THE FOREST
OBEY A SAINT
When the Norman duke Roger was
fighting the Saracens in Sicily, he came, on
' a certain occasion, in the neighborhood of
the rock where the holy hermit Chremes
dwelt. Chremes wished to testify his joy,
on seeing a person who had rendered such
services to Christendom, by an appropriate
present. Yet, how could a poor hermit
bring a present that would be worthy of a
duke? But God inspired him with an idea,
and gave him the means of fulfilling it.
Chremes called to him those animals of
the forest that are useful as human food.
They gathered to him. He then led them
to the duke, respectfully saluted him, and
offered him the animals as a present.
Roger and his companions were greatly
astonished at this sight, and took great
delight in it. Finall}^, the duke asked the
97
hermit what means he had adopted to ren-
der the beasts so tame. Chremes replied
that he had just called them from out the
forest. The duke, however, did not deem
it possible that a herd of wild beasts could
all at once lay aside their savage instincts.
Thereupon Chremes, to manifest the pow-
er of God, turned toward the animals and
cried : "Since Roger will not accept you
as a present, return to your forest home
and enjoy your freedom." As soon as the
holy man had blessed them, they rushed
with joyous speed to their accustomed re-
treats. On seeing this, Roger descended
from his horse, flung himself at the feet of
Chremes, implored his blessing, and took
leave of the holy man with the deepest
manifestation of reverence.
^^^oi^
98
ORIGIN OF CORPUS CHRIST!
The pious Juliana lived in a convent in
'Luttich six hundred years ago. During
prayer she had many visions. She saw
the bright full moon with a piece missing.
Jesus revealed to her that this break in the
moon indicated the want of a feast. He
charged her to institute the feast of the
Most Blessed Sacrament, and to proclaim
it to the world. Juliana shrunk from the
task, and earnestly requested that so seri-
ous a charge be given to some distinguished
and learned priest. But the Lord insisted
that it should be performed by her. For
twenty years the holy virgin hesitated to
ask the world to inaugurate this feast.
Bishop Robert of Luttich, who investi-
gated her vision, found himself obliged
to introduce this feast into his diocese. In
the year 1264 Pope Urban IV. prescribed
this feast for all Christendom.
99
HOW MOTHER CLARA MULTI-
PLIED THE HALF'LOAF.
The holy Abbess Clara lived with her
pious sisters on moderate alms. But
when a famine broke out the alms stopped.
Once there was only half a loaf of bread
for fifty sisters. The holy abbess had it
brought into the dining-hall, blessed it and
broke it, into fifty pieces. All the sisters
ate of it, and were satisfied. And, wonder-
ful to relate, there was as much left as
would supply as many more persons.
MOTHER CLARA PUTS A HORDE
OF WARRIORS TO FLIGHT
In the time of Mother Clara, the Em-
peror Frederick II. threw Italy into a
state, of terror. He persecuted the Pope,
burned the papal cities, and plundered
churches and convents. A portion of his
godless army attacked the convent of"
lOO
Mother Clara, and were climbing the walls.
The nuns fled shrieking to the bed where
Mother Clara lay sick. The mother had
herself carried, bearing the Blessed Sacra-
ment, to the convent gates. The sol-
diers were seized with a sudden fear. An
invisible power put them to flight, and the
convent was saved.
DUKE AMADEUS'S HOUNDS.
Duke Amadeus of Savoy was a most
benevolent prince. A foreign ambassador
once asked him if he kept many hounds
for the chase. The duke replied that he
would show him, if he came back the fol-
lowing day. When the ambassador arrived
the duke led him into a room from whence
he could look out into the courtyard.
There he saw a long table at which a great
number of poor men were eating. Ama-
deus said : "There are my hounds, with
which in this life I chase for heaven/'
lOI
The ambassador remarked, among other
things, that there were many persuns who
would rather beg than work. Amadeus
answered: ''It is not for me to investi-
gate that closely. If God were to ordain
that it should be considered whether we
have not rendered ourselves unworthy
of His benefits by our manifold sins.
He too would be forced to withdraw His
generous hand."
ST. ANTHONY'S SERMON
St. Anthony of Padua was a pious,
humble monk. His mild countenance,
benign look, and earnest, calm mien, made
a wonderful impression on all. When he
preached, the churches could not contain
the throngs. One day he said to one of
the brothers : '^ Brother, come and let us
preach !" They walked silently through
the streets. The brother often halted, and
thought the saint would preach. Anthony,
I02
however, continued on his way, without
saying a word. At last they returned to
the monastery. The brother then asked
the saint why he did not preach.
Anthony repUed : ''Believe me, we have,
through our modest demeanor and our
earnest, serious air, preached well. "
HOW THE GEE A TUBE REVERED
THE CREATOR.
Among the hearers of St. Anthony, on a
certain occasion, was a man who denied
the real presence of Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament Anthony had several conver-
sations with this unbeliever. But he ad-
hered to his error, and sneeringly re-
marked that he would not believe until he
saw his ass pay reverence to the Blessed
Sacrament. The saint accepted his pro-
position. The unbeliever kept the ass
three days without food. When, however,
the holy man appeared with the most
103
Blessed Sacrament, attended by an im-
mense concourse of people, and the un-
believer placed plenty of food before the
ass, the animal did not seem to notice
it, but dropped on its fore knees when
Anthony commanded it to do so in the
name of God.
ST. ANTHONY PBEAGHES TO THE
FISHES.
St. Anthony once visited Rimini to con-
quer by his preaching the heretics who
predominated there. But nobody would
listen to him. When he mounted the pulpit
the obdurate heretics raised such a disturb-
ance that he could not proceed. Where-
upon the saint proceeded to the seashore,
and in all simplicity cried out: ''Come
hither, ye fishes, and hear me, as these
unbelievers will not." The fishes imme-
diately came in swarms to the shore, and
raised their heads above the water. The
I04
saint reminded them of the goodness of
God, and admonished them to praise their
beneficent Creator. After having blessed
the fishes, they returned to the deep.
Moved by this astounding miracle, several
of the inhabitants of Rimini listened to
the preaching of the saint, and renounred
their errors.
ST, ANTHONY AND THE CHILD
JESUS.
St. Anthony cherished a burning love
for the Mother of God, and the Child Je-
sus. He could never cease praising them
in song, in the sweetest words, and ad-
dressing them in fervent prayer. One day
the Child Jesus bowed to him. His hands
embraced him, and He allowed Himself
to be taken in the saint's arms. Soon
after this miracle St. Anthony died, al-
though only thirty-six years of age, worn
out through his zeal in the service of God.
I05
St. Anthony is represented with a lily in
his hand and the Infant Jesus in his arms.
ST, ANTHONY'S TONGUE.
After the death of St. Anthony of
Padua the inhabitants built a magnificent
church in honor of the great saint and
miracle-worker. St. Bonaventura himself
came to Padua in order to personally ac-
company the translation of the remains of
the saint. When the saint's coffin was ex-
humed and opened, his body was found
to have decayed, but his tongue was
preserved and pure as in life. On see-
ing this, St. Bonaventura flung himself on
his knees before the assembled multi-
tude, and exclaimed : ''O blessed tongue,
which so often praised God and taught
others to praise Him, it is now revealed
how great thy reward is in the sight of
God." The holy tongue was enshrined in
a precious vessel and deposited in a chapel
io6
of the church, where it is to this day ex-
hibited and revered.
HOW ST. ELIZABETH BEGA3IE
LANDGRAVINE.
King Andrew of Hungary had a very
pretty daughter, four years old, named
EHzabeth. When the powerful and high-
ly esteemed Landgrave Herman of Thu-
ringia was apprised of this, he sent a
gorgeous embassy to the King of Hungary.
The embassy declared their mission was to
ask if the princess might be betrothed
to the landgrave's son, Louis. The king
and his wife gladly acceded to the request,
and gave their daughter, together with
many rich presents, to the ambassadors.
They returned rejoicing to the castle
with the princess and a number of
her playmates. The landgrave and his
wife received the princess with great joy
and thanked God for the fulfillment of
I07
their wishes. Elizabeth was brought up
with the children of the landgrave. The
landgrave was delighted with her pious
conduct, and loved her as if she was his.
own child. After his death, he was suc-
ceeded by his son Louis. In the year
1 2 20 his marriage with Elizabeth was cele-
brated amid great rejoicing and display at
the castle.
ST, ELIZABETH'S ROSES.
The holy Landgravine Elizabeth was an
untiring benefactress of the poor. She de-
lighted to carry food into their hovels,,
and she did not shrink, when perform-
ing this charitable duty, from traveling
over the roughest roads. One day, while
on her pious mission, her husband met
her and asked what she had under her
mantle. Elizabeth jocosely replied : —
"Roses.'' She thereby meant the fra-
grance of charity before God. Her husband
wished to see the roses. Elizabeth smiling-
[o8
\y threw aside her mantle, and her hus-
band saw, instead of food for the poor,
a mass of roses. In remembrance of this
miracle the holy landgravine is represented
bearing a bunch of roses.
HOW ST. ELIZABETH BECAME A
WIDOW.
In the year 1228, the Emperor Frederick
11. undertook a crusade for the redemp-
tion of the Holy Sepulchre. Landgrave
Louis, as a pious prince, also took up the
cross. When Elizabeth heard of his in-
te^it-ion she fell senseless to the ground.
But when Louis impressed on her that he
was going to combat the infidel in the
cause of Jesus, she bowed to the will of
God. She accompanied her husband to
the frontier, and then returned to the
castle with a sad heart. The landgrave
was taken ill on the voyage to Otranto.
Before his death he enjoined his faithful
I09
knights to convey the tidings of his death
to his wife, and when the voyage would be
completed to bear his remains home. The
knights promised to carry out his desire.
After his death they buried him, and sent
messengers with the news of his death and
his ring to his wife Elizabeth.
SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF
ST. ELIZABETH,
Scarce had Landgrave Henry heard of
his brother's death than he assumed the
reins of power. The bereaved Landgravine
Elizabeth was compelled to leave the cas-
tle. In the middle of winter, accompa-
panied by her children and two faithful
servants, she descended the mountain on
the way to Eisenach. For a long time
she sought shelter in vain, for everybody
feared the wrath of the landgrave. At
length, some charitable persons received
her. She and her servants for a time were
no
forced to support themselves by the labor
of their hands. Finally, Bishop Egbert
of Bamberg heard of the helpless condi-
tion of his relative, and gave her the Castle
of Botenstein for a residence. Meantime,
the knights had returned with the remains
of their master. Elizabeth received the
body of her husband with unspeakable
grief, and had it buried in the Monastery
of Reinhardsbrunn. When the faithful
knights heard of the ignoble action of
Landgrave Henry, they reproached him
for his cruelty in unsparing terms. Henry
acknowledged his fault and confessed him-
self ready to make reparation. Elizabeth
forgave him, and asked nothing more for
herself than a living. After a time, in
accordance with the desire of her con-
fessor, she left her children and faithful
servants, and lived thenceforth only for
God and the sick. Having reached her
twenty- fourth year, she was seized with a
Ill
violent fever, and died November 19^
1231.
CANONIZATION OF ST, ELI-
ZABETK
After the death of St. Elizabeth, all the
people wished to look at the face, of the
great servant of God. Robed in the Fran-
ciscan habit, she was buried, on the fourth
day after her death, in the chapel of the
hospital of which she was the foundress.
The Archbishop of Mayence had all
the miracles performed by Elizabeth sub-
stantiated by oath, and presented the
report to Pope Gregory IX. On Whit-
sunday, 1235, she was solemnly enrolled
in the list of saints, and her feast is cele-
brated on the 19th of November. Scarce
had the intelligence of her canonization
spread abroad, than a great concourse of
people assembled in Marburg. In the
presence of several bishops and princes
112
the still undecayed body was exhumed and
crowned by Emperor Frederick II. For
three hundred years it was visited by
countless pilgrims in the Cathedral of Mar-
burg, until at last Landgrave Philip of
Hesse broke open the coffin and robbed
it. But the memory of their revered pa-
troness is still preserved in the hearts of
the Catholics of that city.
A MIRACLE BY ST. DOMINIC.
St. Dominic while on his missionary
travels once arrived at the bank of a river.
After reaching the other side the ferryman
demanded his fee. The saint replied : **I
am a poor disciple of Christ, and have
neither gold nor silver. But God will re-
ward you yet for bringing me across the
stream. The ferryman, in an outburst of
anger, seized the saint's cloak and shouted :
*' Either pay me or leave me this cloak."
The saint raised his eyes toward heaven,
113
then looked down toward the earth and
pointed out to the ferryman a piece of
silver lying on the ground. '^ My bro-
ther, " he said, ' ' here is what you demand ;
take it, and let me go in peace. "
ANOTHER MIRACLE BY ST.
DOMINIC.
When St. Dominic was preaching at
Toulouse a number of pilgrims, who were
on their way to the tomb of St. James in
Compostella^ entered a small boat in the
Garonne. The boat suddenly capsized,
and the pilgrims were precipitated into
the water. On hearing the cries of the
people standing on the shore, St. Dominic
came out of the neighboring church, flung
himself on his knees, extended his hands
in the form of a cross and prayed. He
then arose, turned toward the river and
cried out in a loud voice : "In the name
of Jesus Christ, I command you all to
114
come to the shore/' Immediately the
pilgrims who had sunk appeared, alive,
above the water, and were accordingly
rescued.
ORIGIN OF THE ROSARY.
When St. Dominic was isndeavoring to
bring back to the Church the Albigenses
in Italy and Spain, he found all his efforts
in vain. Error and crime continued to
increase around him. On contemplating
this deplorable state of things he implored
the assistance of the powerful help of
Christians. The Queen of Heaven appear-
ed to him during his prayer, consoled
him and gave him the rosary, with the
command to institute it everywhere and
to preach to the people on its mysteries.
Overcome with joy, the saint fulfilled the
command. Immediately those who had
been led into error Hstened to him will-
ingly, recited the rosary with him, and
115
returned to the fold of the Church in vast
numbers. Since that time the holy rosary
has spread all over Christendom, and our
Holy Father Leo XIII. has recommended
it as a devotion to be conti.iually prac-
ticed.
ST, FRANCIS IN 1 UESENCE OF
SULTAN SAL ADIN
When the Crusadev><, for the sixth time,
endeavored to rescue the Holy Sepulchre
in Jerusalem, from the hands of the infi-
dels, St. Francis, who had yearned for a
martyr's death, joined the Christian army.
When in Egypt, he fearlessly presented
himself in the very strongholds of the in-
fidels. There he was derided, beaten and
carried, bound in chains, into the presence
of the sultan. The sultan asked him
whence he came and by whom he had
been sent. Francis courageously answered
that the Almighty had sent him to point
ii6
out to him and his people the true road
to salvation. And then he preached with
such effect the doctrine of Jesus as Christ,
the Saviour of the world, that the sultan
was amazed. Francis offered, as a proof
of the truth of the doctrine he preached,
to walk through a consuming fire. The
sultan bestowed on him valuable gifts,
which, however, the saint declined. There-
upon the sultan recommended himself to
his prayers, and had him conveyed bacpk
to the Christian encampment unhurt and
unbound.
ST. FRANCIS AND THE POOR,
On a certain occasion the brothers pre-
sented a new mantle to St. Francis. Just
then a poor man came in, and in tearful ac-
cents informed the saint that his wife had
died and left him with several helpless
children. The saint immediately gave
him his cloak, and said to him, as he pre-
117
sented it : ''Take it, but do not give it to
any one who does not pay you a high price
for it/' The brothers wished to regain
possession of the mantle, but they had to
buy it at a dear figure, and the poor man
was thus relieved.
ST. FRANCIS AND THE CHRIST-
MAS CRIB.
In countless Catholic churches and
houses, on Christmas Eve, Christmas cribs,
made of wood, or moss-covered stones,
are constructed. On this beautiful festival
one sees the City of Jerusalem and the
country surrounding Jerusalem and Beth-
lehem. In the stall Mary and Joseph are
kneeling, together with the shepherds,
engaged in adoration. Above are the holy
angels rejoicing. In the fields the shepherds
are tending their flocks. On the occasion
of the festival of the New Year, likewise, the
Temple of Jerusalem, the High Priest, and
ii8
the Circumcision of Christ may be seen
On the feast of the Epiphany the three
holy kings come with their servants
and beasts to the stall. The three holy
kings kneel before the Infant Jesus, con-
template the Divine Babe in adoration,
and offer Him gold, myrrh and frankin-
cense. Young and old rejoice on witnessing
this beautiful and consoling representation.
St. Francis, who so ardently loved the In-
fant Jesus, was the first to institute the
Christmas crib. Since then it has spread
over all Christendom.
KING LOUIS OF FRANCE VOWS
TO UNDERTAKE A CRUSADE.
St. Louis of France was once pros-
trated by a severe illness. One of his ser-
vants had covered his face with a cloth,
believing him dead. A servant standing
on the other side of the bed asserted, on
the contrary, that he was not dead. The
119
king finally recovered. The first thing he
asked for was the cross worn by those who
promised to participate in the crusades.
After his recovery the Bishop of Paris en-
deavored to persuade him to obtain from
the Pope a dispensation from his vow, in-^
asmuch as, when he made it, he was not
in the full possession of his understanding,
owing to the ordeal of illness through which
he had passed. Louis took the cross from,
his shoulder and handed it to the bishop.
He then requested the bishop to return it to
him, saying : *'Now, I take it once more,
so that everybody may know that I do it
in full possession of my senses.''
CHIVALROUS ACT OF ST. LOUIS,
When King Louis, during his first cru-
sade, had conquered the city of Damietta,,
in Egypt, he marched further inland with
his army. Owing to the overpowering
heat and the want of food, the army en-
120
dured intense suffering, and, in addition,
several thousand men were swept away by
a violent plague. Thus weakened, the
king s army was defeated by the Saracens,
the king himself was taken prisoner, and
was set free only after surrendering Dami-
etta and promising a ransom of a million
pieces of gold. After the money had been
brought from France, the king sent Count
Montfort to deliver it to the Saracens.
When the count returned he informed ihe
king that the Saracens, in counting the
coin, had made a mistake of 20,000 pieces
in his majesty's favor, and that he was
careful not to direct their attention to the
error. The king immediately ordered the
count to return the sum in question to
his enemies.
121
DEATH OF KING LOUIS,
When King Louis had returned to
France, after his unfortunate crusade, he
still continued to grieve night and da}^
over the condition of the Holy Land. He
even feared lest the Christian name would
be completely wiped out in Palestine, and
he accordingly determined to undertake
another crusade. Having made all the
necessary preparations, he set sail, and
landed in Tunis. It was during the heat-
ed term, and to a dearth of water were
added the horrors of the plague which sud-^
denly broke out in his army. So man\^
died that the survivors could not bury
them. The king himself was finally
stricken down. The day before his death,
he received the Viaticum, kneeling on the
ground, despite his failing strength. With
his dying breath he prayed aloud for his
people and his army. Having slept for a.
122
■Nvhile, he suddenly cried out : "Jerusalem !
Jerusalem I we are going to Jerusalem I"
As his last moments drew near he ordered
his attendants to place him on a sack
strewn with ashes. With hands folded
across his heart, and eyes turned heaven-
ward, St. Louis, the pious king and faith-
ful servant of God, passed to his reward.
ST, NOTBUBGA, A SERVANT,
St. Notburga served as a kitchen maid
in -Rottenburg Castle, Tyrol. Her noble
mistress allowed her to distribute to the
poor who thronged before the gates all the
Tictuals that remained after each meal.
The pious girl utilized this opportunity
to instruct the poor with the word of God,
while alleviating their bodily wants. The
master's son married a woman named
Ottila. She was of a miserly disposition,
and was angry at seeing Notburga giving
the remains of the daily victuals to the poor.
123
While the old people lived, she dared not
offer any opposition, but after their death
she ordered the servant maid to give the
remnants of the meals to the hogs, instead
of the poor. Notburga accordingly saved
a portion of her own meals for the needy
standing at the gates. This noble action
of the servant incensed her heartless mis-
. tress. She complained to her husband
that Notburga's immoderate generosity a:-
tracted a riff-raff crowd before the gates,
and added that such conduct constituted
a grave danger, when the master should
be absent from the castle. She according-
ly dismissed her with the consent of her
husband.
St. Notburga also served some time with
a farmer in the Tyrol. Her agreement was
that she should cease work on the eve of
every Sunday or Holyday, as soon as the
Angelus was rung. One evening during
the harvest she wished to retire to the
124
neighboring chapel, when the Angelus bell
sounded, to perform her usual devotions.
The farmer wished her to continue at
work for some time longer. Notburga
replied: ''My sickle will determine my
right/' She flung her sickle in the air,
where it remained hanging, to the amaze-
ment of the farmer and his help. Hence
St. Notburga is represented with a sickle
in her hand.
SIMPLICITY OF ST, JOHN OF
KANTI
St. John of Kanti was a priest and pro-
fessor in Cracow. On a certain occa-
sion he made a journey to Rome, on foot
and alone, as was his wont. He was at-
tacked by robbers on the way, who threat-
ened him with death unless he surren-
dered his money to tliem. In the excite-
ment John forgot that he had stowed away
in his clothes a few pieces of gold, as a
125
provision for the journey, and he accord-
ingly declared that he had given up every-
thing he possessed. When the robbers
had retired he remembered for the first
time the money he had concealed on his
person. He at once hastened after them.
When he had overtaken them, he fell on
his knees and confessed that he had told
an untruth, and begged God's pardon.
At the same time he handed them the
money. The robbers were amazed at
such simplicity and innocence. Their cal-
lous souls were touched and melted like
ice before the sun. They threw them-
selves at the feet of the holy man, begged
his pardon, and restored to him all they
had taken from him.
126
ST, CATHERINE OF SIENNA AND
POPE GREGORY XI
St. Catherine of Sienna lived at the
time when the Popes had left Rome on
account of the disturbances that then pre-
vailed, and had temporarily taken up their
residence at Avignon. This removal of the
Vicar of Christ from the graves of the holy
apostles Peter and Paul had already lasted
seventy years. At length the Roman people
turned to St. Catherine and besought her
to bring about the return of. Pope Gregory
to Rome. The saint accordingly set out
for Avignon, and was received by the Pope
with great honor. The Pope had made a
vow to return to Rome, but he dared not
then fulfill it on account of his fear of the
French king. St. Catherine had known,
through a revelation, this vow of the Holy
Father, and she said to him : '*Do what
you have promised God to do." The
127
Pope, surprised at these words, followed
the advice of the saint, and returned to
Rome in the year 1376.
ST. BERNAEDINE AS A YOUTH.
St. Bernardine belonged to a distin-
guished family of Sienna. In his youth he
was a model of innocence. When his
companions engaged in objectionable
conversation or sports, they immediately
ceased as soon as Bernardine approached.
When he had grown to manhood a pesti-
lence broke out in Sienna. All those who
attended the sick were stricken down, and
the victims were left to die without care,
Then it was that Bernardine resolved to
devote himself to the care of the sick,
with a number of his friends. His rela-
tions objected vehemently to this, inasmuch
as he would place his life in danger and
entail disgrace on his family by engaging
in such a common calling. But Bernar-
128
dine was not to be dissuaded from his
purpose. He continued to serve the sick
for four months, until the plague sub-
sided.
BERNARDINE OF SIENNA AS A
PEE AG HER,
St. Bernardine, when a youth, sold his
property, gave the proceeds to the poor,
and entered the Order of St. Francis. After
a time his superior appointed him official
preacher. He had the holy name of Jesus
engraved on a tablet, and surrounded by
golden rays. This tablet he carried with
him into the pulpit ; he showed it to the
people, and preached with fervent zeal on
the holy name of Jesus. The people,
swayed by his intense eloquence, cast
themselves at his feet, and joyously hailed
the saving sign of salvation. And so he
went from city to city and brought back
whole communities to the fold of Christ.
129
The most bitter enemies were reconciled ;
the usurers restored their ill-gotten gains ;
the gambling-tables were deserted and the
follies of fashion disappeared. The ene-
mies of Bernardine misrepresented his
preaching to the Pope. But Bernardine
soon vindicated himself. The Pope twice
offered him the episcopal dignity. But
he preferred to remain a simple Francis-
can. He healed multitudes through the
holy sign of the cross. He was consumed
by his zeal for the honor of God and the
salvation of souls. He preached for the
last time at Ricti. When dying, he ordered
that he should be laid on the pavement of
his cell, where he received the Most Holy
Sacrament. With his arms folded on his
breast, and his eyes raised toward heaven,
he passed away, April 20, 1444. He is
represented in the Franciscan habit, with
the holy name of Jesus in his hand.
ISO
RELEASING THE CAPTIVES,
Seven centuries ago the Mohammedans
were pirates along the African shores of
the Mediterranean. They captured Christ-
ian vessels and sold the Christians as slaves
in their markets. Filled with compassion
for these unhappy victims of barbarism, St.
John of Matha entered the Order for the
Ransom of Captives. He traveled to Tunis
and ransomed as many captives as his
accumulated collections allowed. St. John
strengthened the others in the Christian
faith, and comforted them with the prom-
ise of speedy freedom. When on one oc-
casion he had embarked with 120 slaves,
the infidels cut his sails and left him to the
mercy of the waves. But John did not
lose courage. He converted the garments
of his companions into sails, knelt with
the crucifix in his hand, and chanted
psalms during the remainder of the voy-
131
age. The vessel landed the ransomed
captives in their own country without hav-
ing encountered the slightest mishap.
PIETY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the
greatest divines ever enlightened by the
Holv Ghost. When, in accordance with
the order of his superior, he mounted the
pulpit as preacher, no hall could contain
the multitudes that thronged to hear him.
He was accustomed to say, however, that
he had learned less from the books than
he had learned at the foot of the crucifix*
And for this Jesus rewarded him in a most
striking manner. When Thomas one day
was praying before the crucifix in the chapel
of the Dominican convent in Naples, he was
seen by a brother monk to be miraculously
lifted from the ground. This brother
heard to his great amazement these words
uttered to St. Thomas from the cross :
132
*' You have written well of Me, Thomas :
what reward do you ask of Me V The
saint simply answered: '* Nothing else
than Thyself, O Lord !"
ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR,
The Holy Scriptures tell us we should
not put our trust in princes. But many
princes, under the influence of the Catho-
lic Church, have been the best of men.
Among these was Edward the Confessor, of
England. St. Edward devoted his whole
hfe to the benefaction of his fellow-men.
He hated all evils, and opposed them in
every form. His great ambition was to
found his life on the basis of virtue. He
Avas much devoted to prayer, to visiting
<:hurches and sustaining the .cause of true
religion. He possessed nearly all the
moral virtues, but he was especially dis-
tinguished by his spirit of piety. Ambi-
tion had no place in his soul.
St. Edward fulfilled the commands of
God in all things. He protected the
rights of the Church and the liberties of
his people with scrupulous care, and had
no other ambition than the comfort of his
distressed subjects. He, on one occasion,
declared he would not accept the greatest
monarchy if it cost the life of a single
man. The saint was always opposed to
war. He restored Malcolm, King of
Scotland, and in his charity he even op-
posed a proposed massacre of the Danes
who had wantonly invaded England. He
was noted for his liberal alms, and he
called the money gathered into his ex-
chequer "2L pillaging of the poor.'' He
never talked of vanity or pleasure, as kings
generally do, but of God and His spiritual
dominion. Humility, prayer and morti-
fication were the ruling principles of his
life. He was singularly devoted to the
Blessed Virgin and the Holy Family, and
134
devoted, as St. Aldred tells us, to a vow
of perpetual chastity. In everything con-
nected with the Church he was a saintly
model ; and even yet the English Catho^
lies congregate around his tomb in West-
minster Abbey and offer up prayers to
God in his name.
ST, JOHN OF CAPISTRANO AND
THE HUSSITES.
St. John of Capistrano was a great
preacher and miracle-worker. Even the
most hardened sinners yielded to his
words. On this account Pope Nicho-
las V. sent him to Germany to combat the
Hussite heresy. The saint succeeded in
bringing back many thousands to the
Catholic Church. His enemies accordingly
resolved to destroy his reputation through
artifice. At Breslau they placed a young
man in a coffin. They then brought him,
in the presence of a great multitude of
135
people, to the saint, and asked him, with
feigned sorrow, to restore the dead man to
hfe. The saint exclaimed before the peo-
ple : "This man is dead forever." This
was a signal for a burst of derisive laughter
on the part of the Hussites. One of thent
approached the coffin and said: "Peter,.
I say to you, arise !" But the young man.
was dead, and never rose again.
ST. JOHN'S POWER OVER THE
ELEMENTS.
St. John of Capistrano preached on
one occasion in Mortegno to a great
assemblage in the open field. During the
sermon heavy storm-clouds gathered over-
head. The skies grew dark, and the peo-
ple began to grow apprehensive, in view
of the approaching storm. But, desirous
of hearing the word of God, nobody left
the place. John offered up a brief prayer
with the people, and behold 1 while the rain
136
fell in torrents all around them, the ground
on which the preacher and the people
stood did not receive a drop. The inhab-
itants of the town begged the saint to give
them, in remembrance of this miracle, the
cloak which he wore. They received it,
and they declare to this day that they are
indebted to this relic for many favors and
blessings.
JOHN OF CAPISTBANO, THE
CO UBAOEO US MONK.
When John of Capistrano was engaged
in preaching in Germany and Poland, the
terrible news arrived that Constantinople
had fallen into the hands of the Sultan
Mohammed. After the capture of this
city the proud conqueror contemplated
the subjection of all Christendom to the
Turkish power. The Pope, foreseeing the
danger that threatened Christendom, was
.«ad at heart, but, guided by Providence,
^Z7
perceived that the Turks should be resisted
and thrown back. His Holiness, there-
fore, sent the renowned preacher and
miracle-worker, St. John of Capistrano, to
the parliamentary assembly at Neustadt.
John preached to the assembled princes
with such enthusiasm that they unani-
mously agreed to fight the enemies of
Christianity with all the power at their com-
mand. The saint performed a like ser-
vice at Raab, in presence of the Hun-
garian magnates. The Hungarian Re-
gent, Hunyad, marched at the head of his
army, accompanied by the saint, against
the Turks, who had beleaguered Belgrade
by land and water. With the banner of
St. Bernardine in hand, the Christian
monk fired the warriors to battle. He
prostrated himself on his knees, like a
second Moses, raised his arms to heaven
in prayer, and then arose and led the
Christian army to where the hottest con-
138
flict prevailed. The Turks fought with
great fury to capture Belgrade. They
burst through the battered walls into
the city. Hunyad, for the moment, lost
courage. But at this critical moment the
saint cried out : ' * This is the day that
God has appointed for our victory/' And
as he spoke, he dashed on the Turkish
' positions with several thousand men.
The Turkish forces were thrown into con-
fusion by this vehement charge. They
fled in dismay, some of them being cut
down by the sword, while others were
drowned by plunging into the river. The
Christians reaped an immense booty. After
Hunyad and Capistrano had oifered up
their thanksgiving for this plain aid of
Providence, they conveyed the intelligence
of their great victory to Pope Calixtus.
Overjoyed at this glorious news, the Pope
ordered that the religious celebratten of
139
this event should be solemnized on the
feast of the Transfiguration of Christ.
LOUIS XL AND FRANCIS OF
PAULA.
The powerful King Louis XI. fell sick,
and no physician could afford him relief
He sent messengers with many valuable
gifts to Francis, asking the saint to come and
help him. But Francis would neither ac-
cept the gifts nor repair to the royal palace.
The king therefore had recourse to the
King of Naples in order that the latter
might induce the saint to undertake the
journey. But the saint refused even then
to set out on a journey of four lumdred
miles to enable a prince to cling for a
few brief years to the world and to life.
But King Louis persisted, and finally ap-
pealed to the Pope. Francis could not dis-
obey the voice of the head of the Church,
af!d set out on his journey. The king
I40
went out to meet him, and begged for his
assistance. St. Francis answered: ''We
must, O King, give ourselves up to the
will of God. In His hands are life and
death. Little more of life remains to you ;
you must make such preparations as death
demands." The king ordered a dwelling to
be given the saint, with all the furnishings
and necessaries of life on a luxurious
scale. The saint refused to accept them.
The king then sent him a picture of the
Mother of God, made of pure gold,
together with a purse of ducats, for the
purpose of building a monastery. These
the saint likewise sent back, with the fol-
lowing words : ' ' It were better the king
would restore his ill-gotten goods than
give them away in alms.'' Finally the
prayers and admonitions of Francis were
effectual ; the king made reparation for his
offenses, and died repentant.
141
ST. FRANCIS COMMANDS THE
ELEMENTS
St. Francis of Paula was obliged
on one occasion to go to the Island of
Sicily, and sailed accompanied by Brother
Thomas. The captain refused to carry
unknown men without first having been
paid the passage money. Thereupon the
saint fell on his knees and prayed. He
then arose, fastened Brother Thomas's
cloak to his staff, and threw his own
mantle on the water. They both em-^
barked on the mantle, and the wind drove
them forward. They came up with the
ship on the high seas. The ship's crew
were overcome with wonder, and invited
them to enter the vessel. But the saint,
trusting in God, kept on his way, and
finally reached Sicily.
142
HO W ST. NICHOLAS OF THE FL UE
INSURED PEACE,
Four hundred years ago the Swiss
League held a meeting at Stanz. Instead,
however, of agreeing in regard to the affairs
of their fatherland, violent dissensions
arose. There were angry speeches deliv-
ered, and it looked as if civil war would
be the result. At this juncture the hermit
Nicholas entered, barefooted and barehead-
ed, wearing a long cloak and carrying a
staff in his hand. All arose to do him
reverence, and listened in silence and cu-
riosity to hear what he had to say. The
hermit advocated peace and unity with
such earnestness and eloquence that in an
hour all difficulties were settled and each
member of the league was bearing to his
home the happy news of union and peace.
In a'l the cities and towns joy-bells were
rung, and the preservation of peace was
celebrated amid general rejoicings. j
143
ST. THOMAS OF VILLANOVA.
St Thomas evinced, when a child, a
wonderful pleasure in giving alms. When
goin- to school he usually gave his dinner
to the first beggar he met. He came home
several times without shoes, stockmgs or
coat The money and victuals which he
received from his parents he gave to the
poor and sick. On one occasion he was
at home alone and the key of the money-
chest was not to be found. As several
poor people were congregated at the door
he took six young chickens and divided
them among them. When his mother re-
proached him for his action, he replied :
"The sight of the poor people excited my
compassion. If another one had come, 1
would have given him the old hen too,
rather than let him go away empty-
handed."
144
ST. THOMAS OF VILLANOVA AS
ARCHBISHOP.
When St. Thomas of Villanova was
appointed Archbishop of Valencia, his
beneficence knew no bounds. What he
derived from his bishopric and received in
presents was all given to the poor. He
wore for many years when archbishop the
identical habit he wore when an humble
monk. He followed the same rule in the
matter of victuals as he did in regard to
clothes. His butler was once compelled
to return to market with a dear fish he had
purchased. The archbishop preferred to
give the money to the poor, instead of
expending it on costly eatables. Almost
every day a vast throng of beggars assem-
bled before his gate. Each received a
plate of soup, a drink of wine, and a little
money. The instructions of the arch-
bishop to his butler were : "Give to all^
145
give kindly and with a good heart." When
he died 8,000 beggars accompanied this
great friend of the poor to his grave, with
tears and lamentations.
GENEROSITY OF THE BLESSED
JORDAN,
The Blessed Jordan was General of
the Dominicans. He once met on the
street a man w4io complained that he was
ill, and asked for alms. The saint had no
money, but gave him some clothing. The
man disposed of the clothing at a tavern.
A brother remarked this, and told Jordan
of the evil that had emanated from his
charitable action. The latter answered :
''Generosity commands a man to give to
one who appears to be poor or sick. I
prefer to have lost the clothing I gave him
rather than to have lost my generosity. "
146
si: IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA.
St. Ignatius, the founder of the glori-
ous Society of Jesus, so famous for its
achievements in the conversion of barbaric
peoples, the diffusion of learning, the ad-
vancement of science, and the defense of
Catholicity against the adherents of the
religious rebellion of the sixteenth cen-
tury, was born of a noble family in 1491,
in the Castle of Loyola, Biscay, Spain. In
his youth he was page to Ferdinand V.
He afterward adopted the military profes-
sion, and while in the army behaved with
marked bravery. During this period of
his life he was distinguished by his excel-
lent conduct and noble and generous dis-
position. At the battle of Pampeluna, he
received a severe wound, and during his
convalescence he passed much of his time
in reading the lives of our Saviour and of
the Saints, which were the only books at
147
hand. He was so impressed with the
sacrifices of these heroic servants of God,
that he resolved to devote his hfe to His
service.
"One night," says his latest biogra-
pher, "being prostrate before an image of
the Blessed Virgin, he consecrated him-
self to the service of his Redeemer, under
her patronage, and vowed an inviolable
fidelity. When he had ended his prayer
he heard a great noise ; the house shook,
the windows of his chambers were broken,,
aild a rent made in the walls, which re-
mains to this day. Another night, Igna-
tius saw the Mother of God, environed
with light, holding the Infant Jesus in her
arms. This vision replenished his soul
with spiritual delight, and made all sen-
sual pleasure and worldly objects insipid
to him ever after. "
Shortly after he retired to the Convent
of Mansesa^ where he wrote his wonderful
148
book of ''Spiritual Exercises/'^ After
countless trials and difficulties, Ignatius
was joined by a few devoted companions,
among them Peter Faber, James Laynez,
and St. Francis Xavier, and determined
to institute the ''Society of Jesus," which
project was approved by Pope Paul III.,
September 27, 1540. Hence we see that
one of the greatest of religious organiza-
tions ever founded originated in the read-
ing of pious books.
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER.
St. Francis Xavier, the Apostle of the
Indies, was the first to introduce Chris-
tianity among the dense pagan popula-
tions of the East. His labors in Hindoo-
stan, Malacca and Japan, for a period of
twelve years, were more successful than
those of any missionary of modern times.
* An English translation of this book is published by J.
Schaefer, 60 Barclay street. New York.
149
After he had preached in the Indies, he
desired to win China also to the Church
of Christ. With three other Jesuit fathers
he voyaged on a Portuguese merchant ves-
sel. After a long and dangerous voyage
the vessel landed at the Isle of Sanacian,
which was held by the Portuguese as a
trading-place. The saint anxiously wait-
ed for the ship to proceed on its way. But
as the vessel was delayed he was deeply
chagrined over the result of this voyage.
He was so prostrated with fever that he
could no longer stand erect. The saint
now knew that his last hour was ap-
proaching. On December 2d, 1552, he
breathed his last on this lonely isle. His
body was buried there, but was removed
to Goa two years afterward. His arm,
with which he had baptized a hundred
thousand persons and wrought countless
miracles, is in Rome. Pope Gregory X.
enrolled him in the list of the saints. He
ISO
is represented in the habit of his- order,
lying sick on a straw mat, with the crucifix
pressed to his bosom and his eyes looking
heavenward.
HIS MIRACLES.
He was especially endowed by Almighty
God with the gift of working miracles, in
order to draw the benighted heathen to
the fold of Christ.
On one occasion, while preaching at
Manapar, messengers arrived asking him
to come and cure their master^ who was
possessed of a devil. Not wishing to in-
terrupt his instructions, he took from his
breast a small cross, and giving it to some
of his little convert children, bade them go
and perform the miracle. The children
hastened to the presence of the afflicted
man, and induced him to kiss the cross.
Immediately the Evil One was expelled,
and a multitude of persons who witnessed
the power of the cross renounced their
idolatry and requested to be baptized.
On another occasion, Anthony Miranda,
one of his catechists, while sleeping in his
tent, was bitten by a cobra snake, whose
sting is certain death. In the morning
the dead youth's companion hastened to
the saint and in tearful accents told him
what had occurred. St. Francis hurried
to the spot, knelt by the dead body, offer-
ed up a brief prayer, touched the wounded
limb with his spittle, and exclaimed :
''Anthony, in the name of Jesus Christ,,
arise ! " The dead youth immediately
arose, and resumed his journey as if noth-
ing had happened. Again, while sailing
from Malacca to the Chinese coast, the
son of a Moor, five years of age, fell over-
board. The father was beside himself
with grief. St. Francis knew nothing of
the accident for several days after, when,
meeting the father, he inquired the cause
of his trouble. ''Supposing/' said the
152
saint, ''Almighty God were to bring your
child back again to the ship, alive and
well, would you promise to believe in
Him and to become a Christian r The
disconsolate parent immediately promised.
Three days afterward the child was seen
sitting in the same spot from which he had
fallen into the sea. He could give no ac-
count of himself since the moment of his
disappearance. In remembranceof so great
a favor the overjoyed father had his son
baptized by the name of Francis, The
countless miracles accomplished by this
great Apostle were always performed in
the presence of multitudes, and are incon-
trovertibly authenticated.
ST, STANISLA US KOSTKA,
St. Stanislaus Kostka is an illustrious
model of youthful piety. He was born in
Poland, of a distinguished family, October
.28, 1550. From his earliest youth he was
153
devoted to meditation and prayer, and
often during the latter exercise he would
fall into raptures, while torrents of tears
would gush from his eyes. While pur-
suing his studies, his brother, who was two
years older than himself, repeatedly beat
and abused him, as he regarded Stanislaus's^
pious conduct a reproach to his own evil
manner of living. Stanislaus died in his
seventeenth year, and was canonized by
Benedict XIII. in 1727, after several mir-
acles by him had been manifestly authen-
ticated. One of these occurred in 1674^
in Lima, Peru, the truth of which was at-
tested by five eminent physicians, a sur-
geon, and all of the Jesuits. A novice in
the convent was deprived by palsy of alll
physical motion, so that he could not stir
hand or foot. The affliction was aggra-
vated by symptoms of other diseases, so-
that the physicians pronounced him in-
curable. A picture of the saint was, on
154
liis feast, November 13, applied to the
palsied one's side ; feeling was restored,
and the sufferer immediately recovered his
health.
ST, TERESA OF JESUS.
St. Teresa was born in Avila, Spain,
March 28, 1515. Her parents were of
distinguished descent, and noted for their
piety. They brought up their children in
the way of virtue, taking special care to
mould their minds in early youth. Teresa
w^as endowed with a susceptible and ardent
nature. She was fond of reading the Lives
of the Saiaats when yet quite young, and
itheir sufferings and their virtues stimulat-
<ed lier to tread the path of perfection. In
lier twelfth year she lost her mother, after
which she chose Our Blessed Lady to take
the place of a mother to her.
In her twentieth year she joined the
Order of Mitisrated Carmelites, at Ayila,
Before taking this step she had spent much
time in anxious deUberation, and finally
reasoned thus : ' ' The trials and sufferings
of living as a nun cannot be greater than
the pains of Purgatory, and I have well
deserved to be in hell. It is not much to
spend the rest of my life as if I were in
Purgatory, and then go straight to Heav-
en/' For some time after her admission
as a nuiii she was prostrated by severe bod-
ily suffering, which she bore unmurmur-
angly, until she at last obtained her cure
through the intercession of St. Joseph.
One day, on entering the chapel, she fixed
lier eyes on a picture representing the Pas-
sion of Our Lord. Reflecting on His suf-
ferings for us, and on her own ingratitude,
she prostrated herself before the picture,
and in a passion of tears implored that
she should never offend her Saviour again.
Her prayer was granted. ' ^ From that
momeBt/' :she writes, I opened a new
156
book — that is, I began a new life. The
hfe I had hitherto Hved was my own; but
that which I have Hved since, I may sa}%
has been God's, for, as it seems to me,
God has hved in me. ''
St. Teresa cherished a special devotion
to the Most Holy Sacrament, and when
permitted by her confessor, communicated
eyery day. A story is told of her which
illustrates her patience and meekness.
She was kneeling one day in a church in
Toledo, where she was occupied at the
time in the establishment of a convent.
She was muffled up in a cloak in an ob-
scure corner of the church. A woman,
who had lost one of her pattens, seeing the
muffled form, concluded that was the cul-
prit, and approaching her, gave her a vio-
lent slap with the remaining patten, and
demanded back the missing one. Teresa
protested, but in vain. Her angry assail-
ant would not listen,, but proceeded to
^57
give her several smart blows on the head^
When the people came to her rescue,
Teresa simply remarked, with a smile :
*' Heaven preserve the good woman ! Just
as if my headache had not been bad
enough before she began I" And she qui-
etly continued her devotions.
ST. ALOYSIUS GONZAGA.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born in the
Castle of Castiglione, Northern Italy,
March 9, 1568. His father, Ferdinand,
was Prince of the Holy Roman Em.pire,
Marquis of Castiglione, and Lord Cham-
berlain to the King of Spain. His mother
was Lady Martha de Santena, a Spanish
noblewoman. In his fourth year Aloysius;
was taken by his father into camp, where
he remained for a while, but on the em-
barkation of the troops for Tunis he was
sent back to his mother. The pious wo-
man was overwhelmed with ^rief on hear-
158
ing the disedifying expressions he had
picked up in camp from the soldiers. He
ever afterward looked back on this com-
paratively harmless episode as the great
sin of his life, and when he made his first
confession he fainted at the priest's feet,
through the intensity of grief in accusing
himself of it. Never after did he commit
a deliberate sin, either mortal or venial."
As he grew older, the practice of the
virtue of chastity became his ambition.
God was pleased with this holy desire on
the part of His servant, and hence we find
Aloysius, when only in his tenth year,
kneeling in the Chapel of the Annuncia-
tion at Florence, his soul aglow with
divine love, devoting himself to God and
the ever-pure Virgin by a vow of perpetual
chastity. From this time on his life was
;a continued advance in heroic sanctity.
Converse with his Creator and Lord be-
came his constant delight, and his very
159
breathing was the exhalation of prayer.
He received his first communion from the
hands of the illustrious St. Charles Borro-
meo. Ever afterward it was his custom to
receive the Holy of Holies every Sunday
and Holyday. He always devoted three
days for preparation and three for thariks-
giving. About a year later Aloysius accom-
panied his parents to the Court of King
Philip of Spain, where both he and his
brother were appointed pages of the heir
of the Spanish throne. But the gairish
glitter of court life had little attraction for
Aloysius. His whole mind was absorbed
in the one work of advancing in holiness.
He began to make it a rule, when any
new project was proposed, to question
himself thus: ^'Aloysius, how will this
advance the attainment of eternal life?''
If the matter w^ere worth doing from that
point of view, he did it ; if not, he let it
alone.
i6o
Finally, Aloysius determined to join the
Society of Jesus^ which then had not been
long established. In this he met with
vehement opposition from his father.
Every means was adopted to shake the
boy's constancy (he was then only fifteen
years of age), but in vain. This cruel
martyrdom lasted three years. He mean-
time redoubled his former austerities, so
much so that his father and all his relatives
'concluded, if his life was to be spared, he
should be allowed to place himself under
the prudent control of spiritual obedience.
He therefore renounced his title and heir-
dom in favor of his brother Ralph, and,
on the 25th of November, 1585, in the
eighteenth year of his age, entered the So-
ciety of Jesus, of which he became one of
the most glorious ornaments.
i6i
MORTIFIGATION OF
ST. ALOYSIUS.
The mortifications practiced by St.
Aloysius were hardly credible. Not be-
ing in the way of procuring the simple
instruments of penance in use among re-
ligious communities, he invented some of
his own. For lack of an ordinary disci-
pline, he made a scourge out of seven
leathern straps ; in these he fastened
sharp nails and fragments of broken iron
chain, and with this cruel weapon he daily
scourged his naked shoulders so that the
walls and floor of his room were bespat-
tered with his blood.
Instead of the ordinary spiked chain
(Catinella) which penitents are wont to
wear around their loins, he devised a cinc-
ture studded with the rowels of old riding-
spurs, and girt himself therewith. He
strewed his mattress with little blocks of
wood, that he might lie uneasily. On
l62
Wednesdays he abstained from meat ; on
Fridays, in honor of our Lord's Passion, he
fed only on bread and water ; and on Satur-
days fasted in like manner in honor of the
Blessed Virgin. These are merely given
as some specimens of his penitential in-
genuity. Thirsting to partake in the suf-
ferings of Christ, grieving over the sins of
others, longing to make reparation for the
ingratitude of men, he treated himself as
if he were the vilest criminal.
DEATH OF ST, ALOYSIUS.
Even the shadows of death were bright
to Aloysius. Seven months before he
died, while he was staying at the Jesuit
House in Milan, it was revealed to him,
as he made his morning meditation, that
he had but a short time to live. He re-
ceived this divine intimation with raptur-
ous delight. Meantime he studied dili-
gently, and his free time was devoted to
1 63
preaching in the public squares, catechis-
ing children and visiting the sick in hospi-
tals. He likewise succeeded in making;
peace between the rival branches of his
own family, who were engaged in a fierce
dispute, which had resulted in open vio-
lence. Above all, he had the happiness;
of converting his younger and somewhat
unprincipled brother, saving him from a
great crime and preventing a grievous
scandal.
He was most tenderly devoted to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. This fact is note-
worthy, inasmuch as this devotion had not
yet been authorized by the Church. In
1 59 1 a deadly pestilence broke out in
Rome, and as the accommodation in the
hospitals was insufficient, the Jesuits built
one at their own expense and served it
themselves. Even the General of the
Order constituted himself a nurse. Sev-
eral of the Fathers died martrys of charity
1 64
on this occasion. It was^ of course, a
harvest time for Aloysius. One day he
found a poor fever-stricken creature dying
in the street. The passers-by, afraid of
infection, kept at a distance. Aloysius,
without hesitation, took the sick man up,
and carried him on his back to the hospi-
tal. He caught the infection, and after
four months of patient suffering resigned
his soul to God, in his twenty-third year,
June 2 1, 1591. No less than two thou-
sand three hundred and forty-five miracles
were offered in evidence at the process
of the canonization of St. Aloysius.
THE BLESSED PETER CANISIUS
Among the men who were instrumental
in preserving the Catholic faith in Ger-
many and Switzerland, Father Canisius
holds a foremost place. For many years
he went as a missionary from city to city
and town to town. All classes thronged
1 65
to listen to his preaching. After his ser-
mons he would often hear confessions till
late in the night. Thousands of people
who, through the false teachings of Lu-
ther, Zwingli and Calvin, had grown in-
different, were strengthened by him in the
faith, and many who had entirely fallen
away were brought back to the Church.
He accordingly incurred the anger of the
heretics, who lost no occasion to insult
and injure him, and who even sought his
life. Canisius also greatly improved the
high schools for Catholic students, and
published an excellent catechism for the
people. He combated the destructive
doctrines of the time by his wise counsels
to the Pope, the German emperor, several
German princes, and the Government of
the Canton of Freiburg. After having
labored untiringly over fifty years for the
honor of God and the advancement of the
Church, Canisius died, in his seventy-
i66
seventh year, at Freiburg, Switzerland,
December 21, 1597.
MISSWNARY LABORS AND MAR^
TYRDOM OF ST. FIDEL IS IN
GRANBUENDEN
St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen was in
early life a lawyer. When thirty-four years
of age he entered the Capuchin order.
On account of his saintly life and great
eloquence, he was appointed by Papal
brief missionary preacher to the Calvinists
of Granbuenden. He entered on his
apostolic mission in the depth of winter.
He traveled, barefooted and clothed in the
poorest garments, from city to city, and
ascended the pulpit exhausted, hungry,
cold. After his wearisome labors his only
refreshment, as a rule, was a piece of
bread which he had begged, while his bed
consisted of a little hay in a stable. The
return of the Calvinists of Granbuenden
167
to the bosom of the Catholic Church in-
creased daily. Enraged at this, the Cal-
vinist preachers incited the fanatical peas-
antry against Fidelis. While preaching at
Sevis he was shot at in the pulpit, but his
would-be assassin missed his aim. Scarcely
had Fidelis left the church when a crowd
of blasphemous swearers and uproarious
men gathered around him. One struck
him with a sword, and others beat him
with cudgels. At last, one fanatic hit him
on the head with a club and fractured his
skull, and the saint in a few minutes was
dead.
3IABY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS.
In the time of Pope Pius V., the Turks
were the rulers of the seas. They robbed
the Christians of their commercial vessels,
and led thousands into slavery. The
great object of the Pope, at that crisis, was
to check the arch-enemy of the Christian
i68
name and punish him for his outrages.
He united the Spanish and Venetian fleets
against the invaders. He sent ambassa-
dors to the German emperor, to the kings
of France and Poland, and the Italian
princes, imploring their aid against the
common enemy. He placed the Christian
fleet under the protection of the Queen of
Heaven, and ordered that prayers should
be offered up for her intercession through-
out all Christendom. On October 7, 1571,
the famous battle of Lepanto was fought,
when the Christians won a decisive victory
over the Turks. At the moment of the
battle the Pope w^as engaged in work with
the Cardinals. He opened the window,
looked heavenward and cried : ''No more
business ; only thanks to God for the great
victory He has accorded to the Christians
at this moment." In memory of this
glorious event, the Pope caused the feast
of the rosary to be celebrated on the first
169
Sunday in October. He also had in-
serted in the^ Litany of the Blessed Virgin
the invocation, '' Help of Christians, pray
for us."
ST, ROSE OF LIMA,
St. Rose of Lima is one of the few ca-
nonized saints of the New World. She was
born in the city of Lima in 1586. From
her earliest childhood she was given to
practices of piety, and was a model of
virtue to all who came near her. Her
baptismal name was Isabel, but her sweet-
ness of disposition and beautiful counte-
nance won for her the title of Rose, by
which she was ever afterward known.
Frail of body, she suffered greatly in her
youth, but she bore her pains with heroic
Christian fortitude. She worked hard,
despite her weakness and suffering, to sup-
port her parents, who were poor. She
subjected herself to the severest austeri-
I/O
ties. Beneath her habit she wore a coarse
hair-cloth, and she bore a silver crown on
her head, set with sharp points. She
cherished an intense devotion to the Most
Bkssed Sacrament, and spent many hours
in its presence, both night and day. The
tercentenary of this holy servant of God
was celebrated in the year 1886 in the city
of Lima with great splendor, all classes
of civil society, from the highest function-
ary to the humblest citizen, uniting with
the ecclesiastical authorities in honoring
her memory. The festival lasted three
days.
ST. FELIX OF CANTALICIO AND
THE JUDGE.
St. Felix of Cantalicio was a poor
Capuchin in Rome. For forty years he
was engaged in begging for his brethren.
Poorly clad, barefooted, with a bag on
his back and the rosary in his hand, he
went from door to door begging for his
order. On one occasion he came into the
presence of a judge who had been pre-
sented with a calf. The calf began to
bawl FeHx laughingly said to the judge :
'' Do you understand the language of that
calf? If not, I can tell you. The calf
simply demands a favorable verdict for the
one who made a present of it to you. Be
careful to do nothing against your con-
science, so that on the day of judgment
such gifts will not be for your perdition."
The judge was struck at these words, and
returned the calf to the donor.
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO,
St. Charles Borromeo, when Archbishop
of Milan, was accustomed to visit the
most outlying parishes of his diocese.
One day he arrived at a swollen stream
that flowed from the Alps. The passage-
way was swept off, and the saint stood
172
helpless on the shore. A robust moun
taineer proposed to carry him across on
his shoulders. In the midst of the waves,
however, he lost his balance, and the
archbishop tumbled into the water. The
carrier now only cared for his own safety.
When he reached the shore, in his excite-
ment he ran away. The archbishop
battled with the waves for a time, and
finally reached the shore. . Dripping with
water, he arrived in a quarter of an hour
at a house where he dried his garments.
The carrier also sought refuge at the
same time in the same house. The saint
did not upbraid him, but, on the contrary,
spoke to him in a friendly manner, en-
couraged him, and gave him some money.
^73
WHY DUKE FRANCIS OF BOROIA
BECAME A JESUIT.
Charles V. once held at Toledo a great
meeting of his nobles. With the magnifi-
cence only possible to a great ruler whose
sway extended over half the world, he
kept up a continued round of festivities.
But in the midst of the rejoicings the em-
press suddenly fell ill of a fever. Excite-
ment reigned all around. The festivities
ceased. Processions and devotions of
various kinds were held, but in a few days
the beloved empress died. Duke Francis
of Borgia, as high lord of the court, was
commanded to accompany her body to the
grave at Granada. There the pallbearers
were obliged to swear that the corpse was
genuine, on opening the leaden coffin.
The empress, through humility, had asked
before death that her body should not be
embalmed, and seven days had passed
174
since her body was placed in the coffin.
When the duke took off the veil that
covered her face he found her terribl\'
■ changed and horrible to look upon. The
body emitted such an unbearable odor
that the spectators had to retire. Francis
alone stood beside the coffin : ''Is this the
empress/' he asked himself aloud, ''who
rejoiced all she looked on with her beauty
and graciousness V At sight of this sud-
den change Francis lost all care for the
things of this fleeting world, and withdrew
forever from the scenes of court life.
But the emperor, who knew his worth,
would not accept his resignation and ap-
pointed him to be governor of Catalonia.
Francis fulfilled this duty till the death of
his wife, when he gave up the world en-
tirely and entered the Society of Jesus.
175
HUMILITY OF FRANCIS BORGIA,
St. Francis Borgia was a model of
humility. When a member of his order
he performed the humblest duties in the
kitchen and stable. He always tried to
serve his brethren. On one occasion, he
carried to Madrid a plate of victuals to
certain persons who had become poor
and were ashamed to confess their pov-
erty. He was met by his son Charles,
Duke of Gondia, surrounded by a brilliant
retinue. The saint placed the plate on
his head and went forward to meet his
son. The duke recognized his parent,
dismounted from his horse, reverently
greeted his father, and oifered to carry
the dish ; this the holy man would not
permit him to do, but carried it himself,
and went on his way.
176
PATIENCE OF ST. FRANCIS,
St. Francis Borgia was once traveling
with an old father who was afflicted with
the asthma. They stayed over night in a
lodging-house where there was only one
bed to spare. Francis made the old man
occupy the bed, while he himself laid on
a bundle of straw on the floor. The sick
father coughed all night long, and, with-
out knowing it, spat on Francis, lying on
the floor. When the father remarked his
error in the morning, he was greatly ex-
cited. But Francis simply remarked ;
''Father, be not in the least troubled;
you could not find in the room a more
appropriate place to spit on than my face.'"
ST. PHILIP NERI AND THE
STUDENT
A YOUNG man once joyously remarked
to St. Philip Neri that his parents had al-
lowed him to study law. The saint list-
177
ened, and then said : '* And then ?" The
student answered : ''Then I will be a
lawyer." The saint continued: ''And
then ?" " Then, I will bring complicated
cases to a happy termination, and acquire
fame and fortune." The saint continued :
' ' And then r ' ' Then I will live a happy
life and face old age joyously." The saint
quietly repeated : "And then?" "Then,"
answered the student slowly, ' ' I shall die."
St. Philip raised his voice and asked in the
most serious tone: "And then?" The
young man made no answer, but walked
away pondering on the words of the saint.
ST. PHILIP NERl A FRIEND OF
CHILDREN.
St. Philip Neri was a great friend of
young people. He gave them presents,
walked with them, participated in their
amusements, and tried to add to their en-
joyment. As soon as he had won their
178
confidence, he talked to them on divine
subjects. On the occasion of the carnival
he was wont to bring his young followers
to the seven principal churches of Rome.
In his old age he even let them play ball
close by his room. The people who lived
in the house once objected to the noise
made by the boys. The saint answered :
''Do not be alarmed, children; play on
and be happy. The only thing I ask of
you is not to commit sin." On another
occasion he said : ''Provided you do not
sin, you may do anything ; you may even
chop wood on my back. "
HEROISM OF ST. FRANCIS SOLAN.
Three hundred years ago St. Francis
Solan set out as a missionary to the Indi-
ans of Peru. The ship in which he sailed
was cast on a rock and immediately sprung
a leak. The lifeboats were swung out.
A number of people were taken in them,
179
and St. Francis was asked to step in also.
But he answered that he could not, amid
such danger, desert his brethren. He ex-
horted, and comforted all around him, in-
structed the Moors who were on board in
the truths of Christianity and baptized them.
The ship suddenly broke in two, and a
number of people on one portion of it were
drowned. Solan was with those on the
remaining half of the ship. When all ut-
tered a cry of despair, he held out a cru-
cifix, exhorted them to put their trust in
God, and assured them that they would
be saved. After three days and nights of
anxiety and suffering, during which their
courage was sustained by the exhortations
of the saint, a ship came in sight. Even
then Solan did not step on board until
all the others had preceded him. To the
astonishment of all, he had no sooner left
the wreck than it disappeared beneath the
waters.
i8o
PETER C LAYER, THE FRIEND OF
THE NEGROES.
The missionary Peter Claver lived, two
hundred years ago, in Cartagena, South
America. During his entire life he was
the friend of the negroes who were landed
at the place and sold as slaves. Every
time a slave-ship arrived he went out, with
wine, sweets and tobacco, to meet them,
in order to win their confidence. He bap-
tized the children who were born during
the sea-voyage, and carried the sick from
the ship on his shoulders. After the land-
ing he w^ould betake himself to the pen
where the negroes were assembled, despite
the horrible odor and stench of the place.
He taught them how to make the sign of
the cross, their prayers and the fundamen-
tal truths of Christianity. He crossed
rivers and mountains, and penetrated jun-
gles to reach the negroes. He implored
their masters to treat them kindly, gave
missions among them, and prepared the
old and weak for death. He even saved
a portion of his own food for distribu-
tion among them. He begged for them.
He cleansed their wounds, prepared their
beds, and attended those suffering from
loathsome diseases, when no one else
would attend them.
After the saint had spent thirty-six years^
in this charitable work in Cartagena and
the surrounding country, his health gave,
out. He was scarcely dead when his room
was plundered, so to speak, by the multi-
tude who revered him, in order to secure
some relic belonging to him. Pope Pius
IX, placed him in the calendar of the
saints in 1851. He is represented in
Jesuit garb, with a crucifix in his hand
and a negro standing beside him.
l82
FOUNDING OF THE ORDER OF
SISTERS OF CHARITY.
St. Vincent of Paul lived in Paris more
than two hundred years ago. His heart was
pained at sight of the misery of the poor
and sick in that city. He saw that they
could be assisted only through united effort.
He therefore founded a union of young
women, who, under his guidance, devoted
their unpaid services to the sick. The
sisters sought out the sick, begged for
them from the rich, brought them food,
did their washing, and attended to their
wants night and day. With the aid of
powerful benefactors, Vincent founded a
mother house for the Sisterhood, and gave
it a rule approved by the Pope. And
from thence the Order of the Sisters of
Charity has spread throughout the world.
i83
ST. ALFONSUS LIGUORL .
This illustrious saint, founder of tlue
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,
was born of a noble family near Naples,
Italy, in 1696. He was placed by his
pious parents under the patronage of the
Blessed Virgin. His devotion to the Queen
of Heaven during his after life is well
known, as is evinced in his ''Glories of
Mary,'' and other works. A saying of his
is that one truly devoted to Mary can
never be lost.
The youth of Alfonsus was marked by
gentleness and piety. His father intended
him for the legal profession, and when
little over twenty years of age he was a
leading lawyer, and had been employed
in many famous cases. In 1723 a case
involving over 600,000 francs, between
the Duke of Tuscany and another noble-
man, came before the courts of Naples.
1 84
Alfonsus was retained on one side, which
he presented with marvelous eloquence
and legal acumen. But having overlooked
by mere accident one document on wh\gh
the whole case hinged, the opposing law-
yer presented it, with the remark that it
upset all the argument of Liguori. Alfon-
sus admitted the truth of his opponent's
contention, and, with the exclamation,
' ' World, I know thee now, '' left the court-
room and bade farewell to the law forever.
He resolved to study for the holy ministry,
and, after much opposition from his father,
was ordained priest December 21, 1726.
As a preacher he at once won fame,
though he did not seek it. He devoted
himself especially to the reclamation of
sinners. The more hardened and wicked
they were, the more gentle and fatherly
was he towards them. He was sought for
by sinners as incessantly and eagerly as
he went in quest of them. He may, in-
,85
deed, be called the Great Confessor. He
once said: ''I do not remember that I
ever sent away a sinner without absolu-
tion." In 1732 he founded the Congre-
gation known as the Redemptorists. By
express command of the Pope he became
Bishop of Agatta, which he would other-
wise have refused. In 1775, by permis-
sion of the Pope, he resigned his bishopric
and retired to his Congregation, where he
died in 1787, in the ninety-sixth year of
his age. The Congregation he has found-
ed is ranked among the most efficient
missionary organizations of the Catholic
Church.
Thus a slight inadvertency caused this
great saint to see the vanity of worldly
greatness. Would that all youth would
derive a similar lesson from their errors
and disappointments.
LIVES OF SAINTS
CANONIZED BY
His Holiness Pope Leo XHI. in 188L
ST. CLARE OF MONTEFALCO.
St. Clare was a native of a small Ita«
lian town (from which she took her name),
and born in the thirteenth century. From
her earliest infancy St. Clare devoted her-
self to the service of our Redeemer. She
was blessed by visions apropos of a new
monastery she established. She begged
for the poor from house to house. She
established a convent known as the Con-
vent of the Holy Cross. Though but
twenty-three years of age, Sister Clare was
made abbess. She was especially devoted
to the Passion of our Lord and to alms-
giving. On one occasion our Saviour
appeared to her bearing His cross, and
said He wished to impress that cross in
i87
her heart. Subsequently, in her heart
were found the various articles that were
used in our dear Lord's crucifixion, and
they remain even to this day, for after her
death her heart was dissected, and in it was-
found the image of Jesus crucified, the
pillar, the crown of thorns, the three nails,
the lance and the reed with the sponge, all
formed by flesh and veins. Her holiness
increased, so that people from all parts
came to beg the aid of her prayers. She
was gifted with a prophetic spirit, and
answered the most difiicult questions put
to her even by bishops. On the morning of
the Feast of the Assumption of our Blessed
Lady she sent for her spiritual director,
and told him her life was drawing to a
close. She then asked for the Holy Via-
ticum, and wished to be left alone, so that
her thoughts might be fastened on her
divine Saviour, and that nothing might
draw them away. On the evening of the
1 7th of August, 1308, her attendants saw
her face irradiated by a brilhant hght com-
ing from above. This light changed into
the form of a globe and then disappeared,
and with it departed the pure soul of St.
Clare to meet her Creator.
ST. LAWRENCE OF BRINDISL
St. Lawrence was born in 1559, and
was educated in a Franciscan convent.
His parents died while he was yet young.
In early life the saint joined the Capu-
chins. By dihgent study he became a
master of Hebrew, and was endowed with
such eloquence that he was summoned by
Pope Clement XHI. to Rome, to preach
for the conversion of the Jews. His suc-
cess was enormous, and his name soon
became known through all Italy. He was
successively administrator of many import-
ant positions, and when only thirty years
of age was chosen Provincial of Tuscany,
i89
and three years later Provincial of Venice.
The Turks, under Mahomet III., prepared
to avenge their defeat at Lepanto. The
saint, in order to avert from Christianity
the great danger of a Turkish invasion,
appealed to all the European governments,
Catholic and Protestant, to meet the in-
fidels, and soon had a powerful army in the
field. Then, like a second Peter the Her-
mit, St. Lawrence stimulated the soldiers,
so that they fought with great heroism and
won a great victory over the overwhelming
army of Turks. At one time the saint
was borne into the thickest of the battle,
and when pleaded with to remain at a
distance replied heroically : '' Here I am,
and here I will stay until the fortune of
the day is decided.''
After his military service ended he was
elected General of the Capuchins, the
highest office of the Order, which he filled
with great zeal and distinction. He died
190
at Lisbon, July 22, 16 16, and the Church
under which he labored so successfully
has recorded his numerous miracles.
ST. BENEDICT JOSEPH LABRE.
This recently canonized saint was born
in France in 1748. His parents, on both
sides, were pious. One of his distinguish-
ing characteristics was his readiness of obe-
dience. On one occasion, being unjustly
charged with some fault he had not com-
mitted, in order to test his obedience, he
declared his innocence, but when he was
sent out to receive his punishment, he
went in silence, preparing to receive it,
when he was instead praised for his obe-
dience. From his boyhood he served
Mass, and always through his after life
attended it with devotion as often as possi-
ble. He studied the classics with his uncle,
a priest at Erin, France, but at the age
of sixteen found his taste for knowledge
191
lost, and he intended to join the rigor-
ous Order of the Trappists. When ap-
plying at their monastery he was refused
admittance. The same happened to him
on seeking admission to five other mo-
nasteries. He traveled to all these distant
places, many hundred miles, always on
foot, begging his meals as he went along.
After these trials, he saw plainly that
God's holy will was for him to make pil-
grimages to the holy places in Europe.
Clothed in rags tied by knotted ropes^
he made eleven journeys to the Holy
House of Loretto, besides many to other
shrines. In Lent of 1783 he dropped
exhausted in one of the streets in Rome,,
and died April i6th as the Angelus was
rung, at 8 o'clock in the evening, when
his pilgrimages were forever ended. A
Protestant minister of Boston, on the oc-
casion of his canonization, undertook to
investigate his miracles, was convinced of
192
their truth, and became a Catholic and a
priest.
ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE BOSSL
St. John Baptist de Rossi was born at
Voltagio, a little town in Italy, in 1698.
From early childhood he was distinguished
for his piety and purity. At the age of
ten years he was adopted by a wealthy
family of Genoa as their son. When a
boy of thirteen years he visited the Roman
college, where he was a model for his
fellow-students; Having overtaxed his
strength in his studies as well as in lead-
ing an austere life, his health began to fail,
and although he had received tonsure
already, he was obliged to interrupt his
course. Later he joined a comparatively
lighter course, and was ordained a priest
at the age of twenty- three. From the
beginning of his priesthood he took active
interest in the young students who flocked
193
to Rome from all parts of the worlds
organizing special services for them in
church, preaching sermons to them suited
to their state of life, and practically teach-
ing them the works of charity by his
own example. Another class of men
whom he endeavored to bring back to a
good Christian life were the ignorant and
depraved drovers and cattlemen who fre-
quented the market-places of the city of
Rome. In 1737 he became Canon of
Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Throughout
his whole life his devotion to the poor and
ignorant was remarkable, sacrificing for
them his talent, time and health. The
latter was ruined at last by endless labor
and severe penance, and on May 23, 1764,
a stroke of apoplexy ended his precious
life. After his death many miracles bore
witness to his holiness.
AMERICAN SAINTS,
RECENTLY PLACED IN THE PROPER
FOR THE UNITED STATES,
AT THE PETITION OF THE
Third Plenary Council of Baltimore,
St. Philip of Jesus, martyr, was a native
of Mexico, and, therefore, with the excep-
tion of St. Rose of Lima, is the only saint
born on American soil. Intended by his
parents for the Church, he refused to adopt
a religious life, and went in a mercantile
capacity on a voyage to the Philippine
Islands. While there he changed his
mind, and entered the Franciscan Order in
1594. Two years subsequently he sailed
for his aative country, but the frail vessel
was tossed about by storms, and wrecked
on the coast of Japan. Having been
captured by the authorities, who hated the
Christian name, he, with twenty-five com-
panions, were put to death by crucifixion,
194
195
a death Friar Philip earnestly desired.
Having wrought many miracles, which
were duly attested, he was canonized,
under the title of St. Philip of Jesus, by
our late Holy Father Pope Pius IX.
St.Turribius, Archbishop of Lima, and
St. Francis Solano, are likewise regarded
as American saints, though both were born
in Spain. But most o*!' their lives and all
their labors may be claimed by America.
The former was from his youth noted for
his piety and sweetness of manner. He
studied assiduously, and soon became dis-
tinguished for his learning as well as for
his piety. Though a layman, King Philip
of Spain wrote to the Holy Father begging
to have Turribir*s Mogrobejo appointed
Archbishop of Lima. His Holiness con-
sented. When informed of the event,
Turribius was amazed, and did not credit
the intelligence ; but when he was told
that the Holy Father desired him to pre-
196
pare to receive Holy Orders, he consented.
Entering on his duties as Archbishop of
Lima in 1587, he soon changed the re-
ligious character of his immense diocese.
He passed more than a dozen years in
making visitations among his flock, ex-
tirpating vice, reclaiming the erring, fram-
ing new ecclesiastical laws, and doing good
everywhere. He died in 1666, and was
canonized by Pope Benedict XHL m 1726.
St. Francis Solano, a Spaniard, as al-
ready mentioned, sailed for Peru in 1589.
When near the South American shore the
vessel was cast on the rocks, and though
requested by the captain to escape, with a
few others he courageously refused the
offer. He remained on the stranded
vessel for three days, comforting and ex-
horting the terrified passengers, who were
mostly negro slaves, -until at last all were
rescued. He changed the character of
Lima by his fervent exhortations, and de-
197
voted much of his life, amid grave hard-
ships, to the conversion of the Indians,
nine thousand of whom he baptized. He
died in the year 1610, and was canonized
by Benedict XIII. in 1726. .
These three saints have lately been
placed in the Proper for the United States
at the request of the Third Plenary Coun-
cil of Baltimore,
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